If you had $300 to spend on a machine...

...what would you get? 

I am fit to be tied about my Kenmore 19110.  My mom swears by Kenmore and I've read tons of great reviews on this machine.  I took mine in to the service center to have a tension issue fixed.  It was under warranty at the time.  Unfortunately, they ship the machine across the state to be serviced.  When I got the machine back two weeks later (now out of warranty period), it only took one seam on a simple pillowcase dress to see that the tension issue was not fixed.  I took it back again.  I spoke to the guy fixing it and explained that it didn't seem to hold the tension.  It would be ok for the first six inches and then gradually the stitches would get wonky.  I even sent a sample of what it was doing.  Of course, that didn't make it to him.  He said he did not have time to sew more than 6 inches with it and he could not do anything else.  As far as he was concerned, it had been fixed right the first time.  Oh yeah, he wanted to charge me $60 for a needle, bobbin and pressor foot (that the lady at the service center told me to take off the machine before she sent it...she even gave me a bag to put the stuff in!!!).  I suspect I just got a lemon and am going to try to either get a refund on the machine or at the very least, get a new one. 

If you had $300, would you try the same machine again or go with a different brand?  What would you get?

I suggest a Janome or Viking. They have a good reputation and can often be fixed at the shop where you purchased it.

I would read alot of reviews to any machine that I planned on purchasing. Its best to go with one that most sewers love & last. I don't have or ever had  the ones Irene reccommends but would certainly look at them for the reasons she gives. I would never be afraid of one that can easily be serviced locally. Thats a big factor.
I hear so many are happy with ones bought form their local shops because they stand behind what they sell & can fix them without sending them far away.

First off I would find a different service center where you are treated with courtesy and respect. Then I would ask their opinion of what to get on your budget. Then go online and read all the reviews you can find, especially from people who have had the machine for more than 2 hours.

In all honesty, I've never had to take a machine to the shop because there was something broken. Just for a tuneup once in a long while because my mom does a pretty good lube and clean for me. I can't remember anything ever happening to either of our machines in years. Between us we have three Brothers and a New Home, which is made by a Japanese company I think but I can't remember which one. One time we had to order a new power cord. I have called a service center to ask for their opinion before buying a machine. Now ask me about my luck with vacuum cleaners, lol.

I have never owned anything other than a Kenmore, but am also frustrated with my current machine.  I have tension problems (although not as bad as yours) and the shuttle rattles when you sew making the machine really loud to operate.  My mother's 1976 Kenmore still runs great but she has been through two Kenmores since that one and I am about ready to give up on mine too - maybe they just don't make them like they used to?  All that to say, I would definitely check out other brands as there seem to be quite a few "lemons" out there.  Good luck with your search!  Let us know what you end up with.

Thank you all for making me feel a little better about the situation.  I am so bummed about the whole thing... I finally found a hobby that gives me some much needed "me time" that I enjoy and now I have to deal with this.  My gut says that I just got a lemon of a machine.  I think on Sears website there is only two out of forty-ish bad reviews on this machine.  I think that when I do get my machine back from the service center in Kansas City, I am going to take it back to Sears to see if the store manager can help me any.  If they will refund my money, I will look into a different brand (although being pretty new at this, I'm intimidated by all of the brands out there).  My birthday is coming up in a month so maybe I could come up with some extra cash then to invest in something different.  It will be really hard to wait a month though!  There is a local place that sells Pfaff and Baby Locks.  I could also drive into St. Louis and find other dealers as well.  If the Sears manager will only let me exchange, I may either get the same machine again and hope for a better outcome or possibly upgrade with birthday money.  I have learned my lesson the hard way to never ever take a machine back to Sears for service!!!

If anyone else has any suggestions of a machine in the $300-500 range, please feel free to pass them on!  Like I said, I'm intimidated by the choices out there 

I think the greatest source of your troubles is poor support and service more than anything else.

FWIW, your Kenmore 19110 is actually made by Janome, and there is a Janome labeled machine which is identical.

Anyhow, I do understand how the upper and lower tension assemblies function from a mechanical perspective.  In crude terms, there is spring that holds the discs up against each other which in turn, squeeze/pinch the thread to create the tension. A threaded nut or knob is turned in or out on a threaded rod to increase the pressure of the spring against the discs.  The odds of this spring getting loose or the nut turning after you sew a few inches is pretty low.  I would suspect that something else is the source of your woes. 

This is were a good shop is a valuable asset. They can sit down with you and the machine and figure out if the brand or type of bobbin that you are using is incorrect, if there is a upper or lower threading error, incorrect needle type, bur on the thread path, perhaps the thread cap isn't being used, etc... I can't really venture a guess as to exactly what the issue might be based on a description of "wonky", but I really doubt it is a serious mechanical issue with the machine.   I'm not disrespecting you in any way, just pointing out some of the technical/mechanical background and that it's often the little things that bite us all in the rear end.

Jenny - Thank you so much for your description of tension adjustments!  It was greatly appreciated!  What I mean by "wonky" is that I'll be sewing along and the machine is doing great (beautiful stitches).  Without any changes in fabric, thread, needle etc the stitches will suddenly be loose or the bobbin thread will be pulling through.  It is pretty random.  If I'm sewing one seam through two layers of cotton fabric, for example, I'll have beautiful stitches for the first 10 inches and then it will do that at random with no other changes being made.  It could very well be operator error too!  I always feel clueless!  Since I've calmed down a bit about the rude customer service and read these posts, I've decided to pick up my machine from the service center and take it to my Mom's house to test out (she lives closer to the service center and other repair shops and knows what she's doing).  If it is still doing that and mom doesn't see anything obvious I'm doing wrong, I'm going to go to another shop with a good reputation.  In my dream world, I would be able to take more classes instead of learning as I go 

Loose all over, on the top, or on the bottom??

RE the bobbin thread - pulling through where?? -on the top or forming loops on the bottom??

From the gut, I suspect that either the upper thread is not feeding correctly,( triple check the manual for the direction in which it is to come off the spool and the use of the correct spool cap), there is a bur in the thread path somewhere, or you are not using Kenmore or Janome plastic bobbins. These machines are generally NOT tolerant of generic or other brands of bobbins.

I have a Janome machine which I love.  Make sure that the thread going through your needle is the same as is going through your bobbin.  Hope all goes well.

I LOVE my Bernette 56. It was about $300 and my first sewing machine. I have been making a lot of bags with some home dec fabric and I have had no problems at all.

It also really helps to buy from a place that offers a free introduction class to learn how to use your new machine. I went back a lot at first with sewing questions...now I know how to fix anything that may happen. The Bernette is simple but has a few decorative stitches available if you need them...I don't. I just can't say enough positive things about this machine.

One day I might buy something in the higher-price range when I can afford it, but at this point in time this machine does everything that I need it for.

Here is a link to some more information:

http://www.bernina.co.uk/bernette/bernette56.html