I had the same idea, but couldn't find anything used that seemed worth
buying. I ended up going to a sewing machine store, and I bought a Janome,
Sewist 521. I watched the salesperson sew five really think pieces without
any problem. I paid under $200 for it, and it came with a nice warranty. It
may not be perfect, but it sure is useful. There was a short learning curve,
wherein I went through a couple of needles, mostly because I tried to go too
fast. I did some zippers on Sunbrella right the first time I tried. Not sure
if this helps any...


I made the same decision you did. The Janome worked just fine, until I
knocked it out of time. The machine is not adjustable by the user so
off to the sewing machine repair place. Just a hair over $100. This
wasn't going to work.

I sold the Janome and bought a used Thompson, which is exactly the same
as the Sailright.

The used Thompson needed timing adjusted, but the videos I got from
Sailright made it easy.

The Janome was useful, but the proper machine is far more useful.