Best Serger: When You Need a Second Machine

I have a serger that lives on my dining table, and my 60-pound labradoodle, Gus, has learned to nap on the pile of half-finished projects next to it. That serger is the reason I can make a Renaissance fair gown in a weekend, and it’s the reason I tell every student in my beginner sewing classes the same thing: your first machine should be a straight stitch, your second machine is a serger. This guide will tell you which ones are worth the money, which ones are temperamental, and which one will have you finishing seams faster than you can say "balled up under there."

Why you should trust me

I’m a costume seamstress of 12 years. I’ve sewn everything from Totoro costumes for a school of 400 kids to Cordura bags that have to survive actual abuse. I keep a seam test journal where I run every machine through five fabric types and three stitch lengths before I’ll give it a verdict. I own three sewing machines and a serger, and I’ve taken all of them apart to clean out the dog hair that Gus contributes on a daily basis. I don’t get paid to love anything, and I’ve been burned by enough "good deals" to stay skeptical.

How I picked

I had three criteria. First, the serger had to handle both knits and wovens without turning into a nest of tangled thread. Second, it had to be easy to thread. This is the thing nobody tells you about sergers: they have four or five threads, and if you get one wrong, you’re ripping out stitches and starting over. Third, it had to be reliable. I don’t care how many stitches per minute a machine claims if it jams on the third seam. I also checked real buyer reports for complaint patterns, because a machine that works for me for a week might fall apart for someone else in a month.

Our pick: Brother 1034D

The Brother 1034D is the machine I recommend to every single person who asks me about sergers. It’s been the default answer for years, and for good reason. It’s unfussy. It threads in a straight line, which sounds like a small thing until you’ve tried to thread a machine that makes you weave the thread through three different guides like you’re playing a game of cat’s cradle. It has a differential feed, which means you can sew stretchy knits without them turning into wavy messes, and it handles five fabric types without whining. I ran mine through a seam test journal with denim, silk, fleece, cotton, and a stretchy polyester blend, and it didn’t complain once.

It costs around $250, which is cheap for a serger, and it comes with a printed manual. That’s the gold standard as far as I’m concerned. I’ve had mine for four years, and it’s never let me down. I’ve made 14 Christmas stockings on it, a full Renaissance gown, and enough fleece hats for a winter market. A buyer wrote in May 2024 that she bought one for her Etsy shop and it paid for itself in two months. I believe her.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The thread tension dials are tiny, and the numbers are hard to read when you’re squinting at them in bad lighting. You’ll need a magnifying lamp or good overhead light. Also, the thread cutter on the side is sharp and I’ve nicked my finger more than once. It’s a small price to pay for a machine that just works.

This is for someone who wants to finish seams, hem knits, and sew stretchy fabrics without fighting the machine. It’s the machine I tell my students to buy when they’ve outgrown their Brother XM2701 and want to make clothes that don’t fall apart at the seams.

Runner-up: Juki MO-1000

The Juki MO-1000 is the machine I’d buy if I wanted to drop a little more money and get a smoother ride. It’s around $400, and it’s the quietest serger I’ve ever used. My Brother makes a whirring sound that I’ve learned to tune out, but the Juki is almost silent. It also has a color-coded threading system that’s genuinely helpful, not just decorative. I threaded it once without looking at the manual, which is the highest praise I can give any machine.

It handles denim and leather better than the Brother, which matters if you’re making bags or costumes. I sewed through four layers of denim on it and it didn’t even flinch. The stitch quality is consistent across all five fabric types in my journal, and the tension held steady even on a long seam. A buyer wrote in February 2024 that they’d owned one for eight years and had never had to take it in for service. That’s the kind of reliability I care about.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: It’s heavier than the Brother, which means it’s not a machine you’ll move around easily. And the price is double, which is a real consideration for a beginner. But if you know you’re going to be sewing for years, this is the machine that will still be running when you’re ready to hand it down.

This is for someone who sews regularly, wants a machine that’s a joy to use, and doesn’t mind paying more for quiet and precision.

Upgrade pick: Baby Lock Imagine

The Baby Lock Imagine is the machine I wanted to love, and I’m still mad that I don’t. It has a feature that’s supposed to make threading easier, and it does, mostly. But the machine is temperamental. I’ve used one, and I’d take the Brother every time. The threading is better than most, but the tension is finicky, and I spent more time adjusting it than I did sewing. A buyer wrote in July 2024 that they’d had nothing but trouble with theirs for six months before giving up and buying a Juki. I understand that frustration.

It costs around $500, and for that price, I expect a machine that doesn’t require a PhD in black magics to keep running. The stitch quality is beautiful when it works, and the air threading is genuinely clever. But it’s not worth the aggravation. I’ll take a machine that works without drama over one that needs coaxing, cajoling, and sometimes swearing.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: I don’t think the flaws are dealbreakers for everyone. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys tinkering and doesn’t mind a learning curve, the Imagine can produce gorgeous seams. But if you want to sit down and sew, this is not the machine for you.

This is for someone who loves a challenge and has the patience to master a finicky machine. It’s not for someone who wants to finish a costume before midnight.

The competition

I tested or seriously considered a few other models. The Singer ProFinish is cheaper, around $200, but it’s a pain to thread and the tension is inconsistent. I’ve seen too many complaints about it to recommend it. The Janome 8002D is a solid machine, but it’s not meaningfully better than the Brother, and it costs more. The Brother 1034D is the sweet spot for most people. The Juki is the upgrade for people who want to spend more. The Baby Lock is the one I’d skip.

Budget pick: Brother 1034D (again)

I know I already named the Brother 1034D as our pick, but it’s also the budget pick, because it’s genuinely cheap for what it does. At $250, it costs about 17 cents a day if you use it for four years. That’s not a purchase, that’s a bargain. It comes with extra needles, a soft cover, and a real manual. You can start serging the day it arrives. The only thing you’ll need to buy is good thread, because cheap thread will ball up under there and you’ll blame the machine when it’s your own fault. I learned that lesson the hard way.

This is for someone who’s ready to move past a straight stitch machine and wants to make clothes that look finished on the inside as well as the outside. It’s the machine I’d buy again if mine died tomorrow, and I’ve already told Gus he can keep napping on the pile of projects next to it.