Bernina 1230: The Best Vintage Sewing Machine? 

I have bought the 1230 in 1986. I am very happy with this sewing Maschine. It is made in Switzerland and is off very high quality. I have never had any problem with this Maschine. Once a year I have my sewing Maschine maintenance and there was never a Problem. In the maintenance they are able to reset the inbuilt computer. I have this sewing Maschine now for 35 years and I can recommended this 1230 Maschine.

I have the 1130 which is similar. I bought it over 30 years ago and it still sews like the day I brought it home.

I have Bernina 1080. I've had it for many years. I also have the 200 embroidery machine and I always sew on the 1080. Love this machine.

I received this model as a gift yesterday. I've never sewn before. I'm very excited to get started.

I love, love, love my 1260 Bernina sewing machine. I totally agree with your review since my machine is not as much different from your model. I love your channel, keep it up!! Best to you, all the way from Sunny California!!! 🥰👋👋👋👋👋👋

I enjoyed your vlog! This is an absolutely wonderful machine. I learned to sew on one, and am now on my second one since the print plate of my first one died. But I am so lucky they are readily available as occasions and my second one formerly belonged to a nice lady who had it serviced every year, as I do too. So I recommend watching where you buy one, same as with a car. It sews perfectly and comes with so many options and different feet, which indeed saves a lot of money. I love the half speed and being able to shift the needle left or right. It makes for precise sewing. And the button holes come out great!

Great machine and easy to use. Covers all my sewing projects and very sturdy. Have had for over 30 years. Recommend.

This machine is brilliant and has stood the test of time. Mine is still going strong and works faultlessly. All the features you have mentioned are valid though I haven’t had a basting problem. The knee lift is like having and extra hand and the foot pedal has a twin function. Press down and it stitches and you can control the speed. But you can get single stitches pressing forward on the back of the pedal. One feature that I find useful is the back tack or reverse function. It will sew backwards continuously. Something I found a life saver at times. The feet supplied are all useful but I bought a generic old style shank that takes universal feet. So much cheaper that way. Especially as I have them for another more modern machine. I use the 1230 more than the modern one as the stitch quality is superb and, as you said able to sew multiple folds of fabric. My service engineers love working to them as they are so well built. About a year ago it developed a serious fault. Fortunately it was rebuilt and I have been using it once again as I did previously.

I plan to buy a sewing machine and appreciate the info you gave. Bernina has a good reputation.

I have this machine and absolutely love it. I have never ever had any problems with it. I bought it new from a Bernina dealer in my area. It's still going strong.

I love my 1230. I have invested in a lot of presser feet for the different things I want to sew, normally dressmaking but I like to quilt too. Because the feet don’t fit on the newer machines I’m hoping I’ll be able to get my tension problem sorted and keep my wonderful machine.

Hi, I have a vintage Bernina 1130, which is quite similar to yours. It does not have the alphabet and there are less embroidery stitches. For the rest it is almost identical. I love it 😍😍😍, more than any new machine although it is more than 30 years old. I got it with the original box with all the feet and the 80’s manual. Especially the photos are hilarious, lots of suggestions for making clothes as was the fashion in the eighties. I also did have the problem with the presserfoot and the basting stitch. My machine dealer very kindly resolved the problem. Since then I have never touched this button again, afraid I might do it harm. Truly wonderfull machine, I especially love the purring sound it makes when in action. I hope to have it for a long time.

I have a 1260, the difference is I have an additional alphabet. I love, love my machine. You can adjust the pressure of the foot with the screw on the very top. Even old singers can be adjusted like this. I haven’t ever done that on mine. These machines are very sought after by quilters because of the reliability and the beautiful stitch. Happy sewing!

I have the same sewing machine. I love it. Happy sewing🌼🌼🌼

Very informative, particularly since I like to sew on vintage Bernina sewing machines.

I have sewn with Bernina machines for the past 45 years. They are the best of the best. I now own 3 different Bernina. Keep them regularly serviced and they will meet any challenges you put to them. I highly recommend them.

I just got one and i love it. thank you for your info❤

I absolutely love my 1230. I bought mine used, it had a few issues but I found an excellent mechanic and it has been a workhorse. My automatic buttonhole is not working but the manual one is fine. I am hoping my mechanic can sort that issue out the next time I have it serviced. I have had the dreaded basting stitch problem too, my mechanic said it had not been cleaned properly (I had just had it to a mechanic and they did not fix the problem- worked for a while then started again).

I love this era of Berninas and have machines from three series before and after yours - 1020, 1130 and 1530. My big fancy 9mm Pfaff is sadly neglected because I use these by preference all the time! I wish they had adjustable presser foot pressure too but I found a used Bernina walking foot at a reasonable price and now sew knits on them too without the distraction of constantly stroking the fabric towards the foot. I use the knee lift all the time (so sad the UK 1020 didn't have that) which works so well with the needle up/down in combination with the heel tap on the foot control to lift it up when needed without taking my hand off the work to press the button. They're soooo much faster to set and change settings than going through all the screen levels and sequences on the Pfaff. The Bernina presser feet are wonderful as you say, great quality and I've been able to build up sets for my different machines and save money by buying used ones that work perfectly. The only thing that can catch you out is that although it has an old-style fitting that will fit the older models (930 and earlier) those older feet with fatter peg fittings do not fit these machines.

Thank you for such a great review.

I have a Bernina 1015se. It’s at least 30 and I’ll never sell it, it never breaks down ...however I’ve just bought a new computerised Bernina and it’s complicated and brilliant.

Wow, you just convinced me that I have a most awesome machine! I have the 1260 and while it still sews great, I can’t help being tempted by new Berninas, of course that’s their plan. Lol! I think I may go ahead and invest in the waking foot for it. I would like to sew active wear cuz I too never fit in store bought stuff well. Always pulling the up or down!

I own à Bernina B740, (for over 7 years now), it is very sturdy and reliable. It has all the features of the 1230 and a few more, I also have a Bernina surger L450 and recently I bought the coverstitch Bernette B42, they all work fine, I enjoy sewing with these lovely machines. I did sew with a Singer for many years, it was a good machine, but I prefer the smoothness of the Bernina. Lets say that if you have to ride for 700 km from point À to B, both à Toyota or a BMW will get you there, but you are more confortable in a BMW. Thank you for your great videos, you are very clear and clever, I will buy your book on the coverstitch.

I enjoy using my Bernina 1230 and though I have a newer model I much prefer this one. When I got this machine out after a decade of not using it I watched your video to refresh my memory on its use. I particularly appreciate the warning about the basting stitches. I really have no reason to use either of them but will certainly heed your warning. I also agree with you that it has all things necessary for regular sewing tasks and not overloaded with too many choices. Sewing thicker projects like handbags or bowl cozies is much easier than on many other machines. The special stitches work very well for doing a nice top stitch on baby receiving blankets. All in all I have no desire for a newer machine.

The very first time I watched one of your videos I felt an immediate bond when I saw your 1230 in the background! I bought mine when it was 10 years old and have loved it ever since. When you started to describe the biggest problem with the machine I knew exactly where you were going. My basting stitch stopped working shortly after I got my machine but luckily I haven’t had the problem you had with your circuit blowing out. Mine just simply won’t work. Your description makes me determined never to touch that button again! The person I bought mine from was apparently a presser foot fanatic. They were probably 20 different feet included if that’s possible. Even after having the machine for 20 years I haven’t gone near many of them and haven’t even taken the time to find out what they do. 😂 I also have a “cut and sew” attachment which I is meant to mimic a serger. I’ve never used that either but it’s pretty novel and fun to have. Besides the wonderfully quiet, dependable and sturdy operation, I love the detachable extension table, do you have one of those? And also that you can press the foot control with your heel and the needle will change position depending on the default setting you have chosen. That is super fancy! 😁

I live in the U.S. and bought the Bernina 1008 for my first sewing machine. Then I traded up to a 1090, 440 QE, and now I have the 770 QEE which I LOVE! However...I have noticed if I want to sew heavy fabric ie, denim, canvas and heavy twill or vinyl nothing beats my old vintage Bernina 1010 mechanical machine with walking foot. Question: I need to see more coverstitch machine how-to videos! I just bought the Babylock coverstitch only machine and haven’t found out much about it. However, I bought your book and it will be delivered next week on Saturday. Yay! I want to learn how to do bindings with the binding attachment.

I bought this machine new years ago, and will never ever ever ever get rid of it. Love it. It works for me. Can't believe that it's called vintage. Time kind of slipped away on me. Interestingly enough, yesterday I wanted to use a basting stitch, and hit both of those buttons that you avoid, and the machine did not stop, worked fine. But I was confused by them for some reason and ended up just using the straight stitch with a long stitch length, thank god. Now I really won't touch those buttons. I have tons of feet that I bought years ago, even the walking foot. Love my Bernina 1230. Apparently it has better stitch quality than the later 1530, which was more computerized. I was told that by a famous American sewer at a sewing festival one time. He had a 1230 and preferred it to the 1530. And yes, I have the knee lifter. And I couldn't care less about embroidery.

This information is so valuable to have. Thank you. I just bought this machine. I am so fortunate all the original feet were included. So the #5 foot is the blind hem and it is the #10 that is the edge stitch foot. When you sew denim what tension are you using.

I have 2 1230's 2 930's an 830 (classic) and a 910. I use the 1230 on a daily basis, but would never give up my 930 which is the last of the 100% mechanical machines and I honestly think a touch heavier duty than the 1230. I love the auto needle down feature and have not experienced the basting stitch issue you mentioned. You can use the needle down function of the foot pedal, but it's really nice to have the button to use so you don't have to tap every time you stop. For me, vintage Bernina's are the only way to go.

I have owned a 1230 since 1989. It has been an excellent machine for me! I sew almost exclusively with a walking foot, which is indispensable for most sewing projects but especially for hemming stretch denim jeans. I have also spent many hours sewing free form embroidery and can attest that this machine is incredibly responsive to my whims. I have seen these selling on ebay for $400 to $800 which tells me they are still desirable. I recently began hearing some humming sounds so she needs some service. In the mean time I bought a Bernina 535 which I think is the most comparable machine for the price.

I've got a Bernina 1260. It is a workhorse and a dream to use. Had it new in 1994 and it is a rolls Royce. It too sews as good as the day I bought it but I must admit that Johanna taught me it weakness with the basting and long stitch usage. It definitely effects the circuit board and I took Johanna"s advice to switch off and hope the circuit board corrects itself - which it does. Meantime I spent a small fortune with Bernina dealers on two occasions of this happening and they might well have known this was the problem. It took me money😥I absolutely love the 1260 which is better than my later Bernina model.

Hi Johanna!! Wonderful vlog.. 💜💜💜🧵🧵🧵

Can I tell you, I was only recently given a 30 year old Bernina 1230 as a gift, which is an incredible kindness. And the first few days I spent sussing her out, I sat there punching the air I was so happy to have such a beautiful machine. In comparison with the new plastic-y junk machines they make these days, I am in heaven. It came with all the bells and whistles - the presser feet box + knee lifter - although the knee lifter doesn't work for some reason. I also found it hard to sew a very lightweight cotton fabric as the machine just ate the fabric, but otherwise I am over the god damn moon. I'd love to see some tutorials using this machine as it seems that a lot of us own and love this model, but there are very few online videos about it.

Thank you I am an advanced beginner sewer who just got my Mom.1230.

I have 2 of these and a 3rd for parts, it's a really nice machine.

I have this machine and love it. I bought it new (?? 1988-ish) and couldn't bear to part with it.

I have 20 yrs of experience with bernina, my first bernina was/is Artista 180 with embroidery module. It is just a fantastic sewing machine, taking it in for service, it is like new. The machine has every possible stitch, including quilting, lettering, basting (yes i had the same problem but got it fixed) and even sideways stitching. The embroidery module is dated but i never really did any embroidery with it. Servicing the machine has been a key to its performance, can not be overstated. The old mechanicals i can service myself. I also have a 350pe which is 2 yrs old and purchased new. It has been a fantastic sewing machine and has made everything, i ... including heavy duty sunbrella fabric for outdoor furniture. It is very portable and easy if i want to sew outside or anywhere. My newest machine is a big bernina 740 purchased last christmas as my gift to myself. This machine has been a huge learning curve with features .. like auto presser foot lift, button lift and fhs to get use to - the number of times i reach to back to lift the presser foot ..oh boy, i am setting my new machine up to do some jeans and other clothing makes for fall. Each of my bernina's have been terrific, (hint, never lend your machine out to someone, mine came back broken from some one who didn't know sewing machines and technology)

I traded my 930 for the 1230 and I still have it. I rarely use it as I sew mostly with my 770. I sometimes think I should sell it so someone else can use her but then I think I should hold on to her. Sometimes I let students use her when their machines aren’t sewing well.

Does yours have the needle up function in the foot pedal? I love this. I owned my vintage 1090 for years before I knew it could do this.

I have one cheap modern mechanical W6 machine and two vintage sewing machines that I bought second hand. A Husqvarna Lily 530 - a computerised Machine from the 90s (I believe ). And a Singer Genie 354 from around 1975 (bought it on a loppis - yard sale - in Sweden last year for 300 SEK). While I absolutely adore my little Singer , I find it hard to like the Husqvarna. It does not handle even slightly thick fabric very well and I cannot figure out why. But I love that it is very quiet and I like the automatic button holes. But I mostly use my simple W6 for every day sewing. Although cheap it is very reliable and sews almost anything. I have been thinking for a while about getting a new machine to replace my W6 but I cannot decide whether to get a computerized or a mechanical machine. So hard to decide !!

I bought my 1080 in 95 for 1000$, later bought the 1260 and another 1080 . I love these machines, my only wish is that they could take a brighter lightbulb. Sewing now with my grands, hope to past the joy along.

I shared your video with the "Bernina" Facebook groups too

I got a Bernina 1130 (very similar to yours, predecessor I think) from a house clearance sale just after Christmas and I was overjoyed with it, but it (literally) went up in smoke a few weeks back. Made a strange hissing, fizzing noise and then all this smoke came out of it everywhere. To say I’m devastated is an understatement, it was such a fantastic machine. I hope to find another one day.

I have the 1260 and would never part with it. I also have several other Berninas but this is my favourite

I absolutley live my 1230

I have a 1999 vintage Bernina 180E. The basting stitch failed because the ”pin” inside stuck. Technician told me to run that basting stitch often to keep it functioning. Don’t know if anyone else had this problem but it was fixable and can be prevented by using the stitch frequently. All in all i love my machine but don’t use it for thick Sunbrella type fabrics. I use my basic Viking lower end machine. I don’t however like the 9mm wide stitch capability . If I run across a well-priced machine like this one Johanna has I would grab it just for the 5mm width. The straight stitch plate is one way to deal with with the too wide opening in the 180, but you can then only do straight stitch and not Zig zag, my two most frequently uses stitches.

My 1230 had the problem with the basting stitch and the Bernini tech told me to run it occasionally. I did so and have not had the problem again.

Thanks Jeremy .very informative. ? I can’t seem to pivot when stitching. There’s not this nice corner when turning ( or pivoting) what am I doing wrong?

Great review. Do you know if these machines are repairable given their age. Are parts still available? Thank you.

My first bernina, loved it. But indeed the presure and also the weight of it. Went to the aurora 450.

Beautiful Bernina 1230 💕💕Glenn. Does the Foot pedal have needle up / down feature ?

I have a 910 that is all mechanical. It has a whopping 7 stitches. No knee lift. No foot pressure for foot and no auto needle down [heel down or hand wheel]. It still sews beautifully. Best I could afford at time. I bought a bernina 530B on closeout. Love additional features lacking in older machine. But it is not as solid a machine. None are in comparison. To effectively use knee lift switch to your left foot for the foot control. Feels weird at first.. But once you do you will find better control and better posture.

I inherited one from my Nan and had no clue that there was such an issue

What year did this machine come, and how old is yours? I love berninas, I really did learn on my mothers old pale yellow one from the late 60ies and because of that never got on very good terms with the husqvarnas at school ...

I, too, love my 1230. I bought my used for half price from a sewing school in about 1992--totally by chance. I'd taken some classes on it and liked it so much that when they became available I grabbed one. I've lugged it across the USA several times since then. It has been very reliable and I try to take care of it. I love my knee lever and two-way pedal.

Would you have any recommendation for a new model that has similar features? To spend such an amount, I would feel more confident investing in a new model that can be serviced easily into the future. Thanks so much!!! I just watched one of your older vlogs to see which machine you had. You read my mind!

My mother’s 830 would like to have some words. Just kidding, I learned on older Berninas and will always have a special place in my heart with them.

I found a broken defective Bernina 1230 that I repaired. I bought another defective one at auction, it had electronic problems that were also repairable so now me and my daughter each have a Bernina 1230. I have not run such a good machine.

I agree on the 1230. I've done tons of quilts, cloths and repairs. I did have the board replaced as it only went reverse about 7 years ago. Since then - its fine. Im thinking of getting another new machine. I'm looking at Janome 7. Have you gotten a new machine? Any suggestions? Thank you

I have a nova 900 I really don't like computerised sewing machines but if I found a 12:30 at a good price I would grab it

Great information, I collect my vintage 1130 tomorrow, it has all the feet, can you tell me which foot if any would let me do free arm embroidery, I will be a regular visitor to your fab channel. Julia fae Scotland.

I have. 930 record and a newer 380. The 930 wins each and every time. The newer machines are so much less sturdy. Ok you get up and down needle etc but the quality of the Bernina has changed ( in my opinion) this is after approx 40 years of sewing v

I would LOVE to add one of these to my Bernina "collection'', they command a high price on the second hand market though. I have two Bernina Virtuosa a 150 and a 160, I had my eye open for a 160 and one came my way, and it is practically brand new and only used about five times. I think that you have to be aware that the "motherboard" doesn't malfunction as these are hard to replace (here in Australia) and that you have to send to Switzerland for a replacement. It is such a shame that the majority of Berninas are no longer manufactured in Switzerland. Do you still have your Viking machine? We would love to see that too

what is the number 7 foot for?

Follow the below clip to show you how to correct your stitch length problem, and you no longer have to fear those buttons. xx

I love my 1230 and will never give it up! I also have a 550QE which I use in my business, but often go to the 1230 for heavier jobs. I never had a problem with the basting stitch, but for awhile the "on/off" switch didn't work, it would just stay on when I tried to switch it off, but that seems to have sorted itself out. Also, the retractable cord on the foot pedal doesn't work so well anymore, but other than that it is a brilliant machine.

Love my 1230 and bought it new 29 years ago. Touch wood have had no problems. Will never part with it!

I have the same problem with my sewing machine.

It would be nice, if you not only tell about functions of this machine, and will show everything

I recently inherited my grandmothers 1230 & a ton of accessories but no instructions. I’m having trouble with the KL1130 foot. Do you have a video or tutorial on using it?

You lucky it came with so many feet. My 770qe only came with 5 feet.

What year was it made?

I believe your basting stitch mechanism is stuck, it’s easily fixed by a technician.