Bernina 1008

The bernina 1008 is just the best bernina has ever made I've had mine for about 2.5yrs. I absolutely love it – It's a brilliant machine. I can't fault the 1008.it handles well and is solidly built. It can handle lots of thicknesses of fabric..obviously use shmetz needles with a bernina. I've had my 1008 for around 2.5 yrs and I wouldn't swap it for any other

Absolute Winner – I work as a costume designer & mobile seamstress, so I take my machine all sorts of places to sew. Schools, fashion parades, photo shoots, celebrity appearances, you name it, I need a reliable machine that can travel with me. My Bernina 1008 has been working hard along side me for 20 years. She’ll sew anything at a minute’s notice. Leather, denim, canvas, wool, sheer silks, suits, ball gowns, kids uniforms, curtains, cushion covers, millinery, i’ve even repaired shoes.

This machine can manage any weight of Fabric & can manage 12 hour days for a week. I get her serviced every 3 or 4 years.

I also have a 1010, that is equally as good.

I would never be without a Swiss made, metal housed Bernina.

I love it but – I've had my 1008 for three years and loved using it. However tiny bits of thread get caught in the needle take up lever/bar and completely jam up the machine. As it is not accessible I have to take the machine back to the retailer for repair. This is a thirty mile round trip and the machine is away for a week each time. The retailer says there is nothing I can do to avoid this happening. He is very fair, the first couple of times he serviced the machine at the same time and it costs me £50. The third time he did it free. My ancient, cheap, Crown Point has never once been professionally serviced or repaired, the whole machine is accessible so I am able to take it to pieces and do it all myself. After the third repair I was afraid to use the Bernina I just looked at it lovingly and used my Crown Point for several weeks. My husband suggested that I sell the 1008 and keep the trusty Crown Point but I must admit I'm in love with the 1008 - it's so precise and a delight to use - and so it should be. I paid just under £700 for it, with repairs and the extra feet I've bought it's cost well over £1000. I'm using it tentatively now, hoping that this will not happen again, if it does I'm afraid this precarious love affair will have to come to an end. The draft thing is it has a seven year guarantee - but this fault is not covered, even though I can do nothing to avoid it!

Excellent! Virtually unbreakable and all metal motor and body / casing for the machine – A great machine favoured by schools as it is reliable and tough, despite being roughly handled at times by students. Sews all fabrics well. Being manual, re the tension- the small screw on the bobbin case may need to be adjusted for correct lower thread tension if changing the thread thickness. Very rarely a small fuse can blow, in some machines, but it is easily replaced. This machine is built to last.

It doesn't have an automatic needle threader or automatic sizing buttonhole foot ( it has 4 steps) , but it is a quality machine that people just keep, when they have one.