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Sergers are great if you want clean edges and professional-looking hems. While you can do some of the work of sergers with your sewing machine, you can't do it all. Getting a serger is important if you want to upgrade your sewing projects. A lot of beginners put off getting a serger because it can be overwhelming, and they wonder: why not work a little more with a machine you already know? 

These sergers are solid choices for beginners, since each produces high-quality finishes. The best thing is they’re not too complicated for anyone from a novice to an expert tailor to run. So, if you're looking to get a good serger that a beginner can work with, these are the best sergers to start with. 

According to our tests, the best serger for beginners is the Brother 1034D. It's best for beginners that want professional results. It's user friendly and can handle heavy duty projects.

7 Best Sergers For Beginners

More About The Brother Series DZ1234 Serger

Whether you want to get some garments hemmed and adjusted quickly, or want to get more creative with your stitching, this machine will get you there. Since it uses a differential feed, you can get a good, clean finish on a wider variety of fabrics. With color-coded threading and speed that reaches up to 1,300 stitches per minute, you can get the look you want, and fast. It comes with a bonus pack, including thread, gathering foot, blind hem stitch foot, and the piping foot. This is especially helpful for beginners that don’t have a big stock of accessories yet.

More About The Singer Finishing Touch 14SH6540

This serger makes it easy to get that chic, rolled hem and decorative edge. You can choose to use 3 or 4 threads depending on the fabric you're using, to make the strongest stitches possible, and with the stitch length dial, you can custom tailor the way your stitches come out. Even better, the dial is on the outside of the machine, so you can easily adjust stitch length as you go.

More About The Juki MO-50E

This powerful machine really is ideal for beginners; you can do everything you need to, and create quality hems without spending a fortune, which is great for people getting started. It's also incredibly easy to thread and start since it comes with lower looper threader and built-in rolled hem. 

Of course, all the threading is also color-coded to make it even easier to use. If that's not enough, the instructional DVD is better than most you'll find included with other sergers.

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More About The Brother 2340CV

While this Brother machine does qualify as an ‘advanced serger,' it's also refreshingly easy to use, even for beginners. It has both cover and chain stitch capabilities, as well as a very wide array of different adjustments you can use to customize your finish.

With snap-on feed and color-coded threading, there's an extra dose of clarity for newbies getting set up. This is a great machine to get professional quality edges, with stitch strength you won't question when you wear your garments out.

More About The Juki MO644D

If you’re looking for the best serger to get yourself started, this Juki serger should be in the running. This is a powerful serger that brings all the important elements of a commercial grade serger right into your workroom; there's a high powered cutting system that drives the machine and creates highly accurate cuts, and plenty of features that create perfect, high-quality stitches.  

When you pair the breakaway looper with color-coded threading, you have a winning combination for even the most novice crafter. As a bonus, there are a ton of different feet you can use for everything from piping to gathering to cording, and then some. With everything in easy reach too, this is a prime serger to learn on. 

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More About The Janome 8002D Serger

This Janome serger is a machine you can pretty much start working with from the moment you take it out of the box. It’s already set up, threaded, and ready to go. It’s sturdy and packs ample power but it’s also light and compact enough to take on the go. These features also make it ideal for the crafters working in limited space.

Want another reason why this is a great serger for beginners? It's straightforward and easy to work with, especially if you watch the DVD and get started while it's still threaded. You can use 3 or 4 threads, depending on your project, and the built-in hem roller makes a classic finish quick and easy. See more from Janome.

What Is a Serger Machine?

A serger machine is a specialized sewing machine that is used to make extremely professional looking seeming. A serger machine is also known as an overlock machine. A serger works by locking threads around a seam, whilst also cutting off the seam allowance as it works, it prevents any seam fraying. 

You will find this on almost any item of clothing you have around your home and it allows you to create a professional finish on any item, even allowing you to create a rolled hem, a traditionally very difficult stitch to master. 

Guidelines For Choosing Your First Serger 

As with nearly everything you buy, different brands of serger machines all have various functionalities and features. As a beginner, this can be overwhelming to know what features are essential and which are more advanced and probably unnecessary for your use. 

The following factors listed are essential for all beginners to consider when buying their first serger machine. 

Easy to use

There are many advanced serger machines out there, but as a beginner, you want to buy a machine that is easy and straightforward to use. Ideally, you want to be able to use the machine within minutes of taking it out of the box after reading what should be fairly simple instructions for use, and has adjustable stitch & cutting width and other useful features.  

An easy to use machine will encourage a beginner to increase their knowledge and what to use it, whereas a complicated machine is more than likely going to put the beginner off using it and it will more than likely just end up gathering dust. Some models, such as the Brother Designio series are well known for their ease of use. 

Price point 

You probably don’t want to spend a huge amount of money on your first serger machine when you are just starting. Unfortunately, you probably won't get a great experience if you just go ahead and by the cheapest model. 

Striking a balance is key and a mid-range machine will likely be a perfect fit here. You will need to consider your budget and do some research on the best model to suit this. 

Accessories

As a beginner, you ideally want a machine that includes some accessories that allow you to use the machine straight out of the box without having to spend any extra money to buy these accessories. Examples of these accessories would be thread, bobbins, and needles. These will allow you to experiment and get to know your machine before you start spending money on anything extra for it.

Differential Feed

The differential feed is an important feature on a serger machine as it allows you to work with a vast amount of different fabric types. This allows you to make sleek edges even if the piece has ruffles or turns.  

Manual Threading

Having to thread a serger machine, as with any sewing machine, is a very tedious and time-consuming task. It may take a lot of time to master and be especially frustrating for beginners, as instruction manuals can often be exceedingly difficult to follow on the matter. 

It can take a very long time to be able to thread a machine effortlessly. Bearing this in mind, a self-threading machine can often be the best choice for a beginner as well as anyone who wants to work quicker and more efficiently. 

Number of threads

Never buy a serger without enquiring about the number of threads. You will want 3 to 4 at a minimum, which is what the majority of machines offer. You can also get machines that have up to 8 threads. These machines will be more expensive and likely more advanced. 

Tension

A serger Machine either has manual control for tension or a self-programmed one. While neither is better than the other it all comes down to personal preference and what you find easier to manage. 

Having the right tension is vital as if it is off the results will not be of a high standard. If it is too tight you also risk the thread breaking, which is a hassle no one wants to deal with. 

How a Serger Differs from a Sewing Machine

Sergers and sewing machines might look similar and complete similar tasks. But there are several important differences between the two. 

Number of Needles and Bobbins

A sewing machine runs with only one needle while a serger uses multiple needles to work. As a result of having many needles, a serger also requires multiple bobbins and more threads. 

Electricity Needed

There are sewing machines where no electricity is required. However, there are no sergers that run completely on your manual energy.

Productivity

Sergers and sewing machines perform different functions and stitches so both are needed in the process of mass production. However, while both as necessary, sergers are more productive in terms of mass production. 

Method of Controlling Speed

A sergers speed is controlled automatically so it can work independent of the user, while the speed on a sewing machine is controlled by the user requiring more attention whilst using it. A serger will allow the user to complete more stitches per minute. 

Time and Energy Required

A sewing machine requires a lot more time compared to a serger, and time is money. When it comes to efficiency, especially from a business perspective, a serger is far more efficient at getting the job done. 

Best Finishing

If you want the best finish you can achieve, go for sergers. The quality that sergers produce are often way higher than what a sewing machine can achieve.

Flexibility

When it comes to flexibility, this is where a sewing machine shines over a serger. With a sewing machine, you can perform a vast number of different stitches allowing you to complete creative independence.

Conclusion

Serger Machines are wonderful equipment to use as they allow you to work quicker than a traditional sewing machine would, while creating professional-grade seams. Buying your first serger can be an overwhelming task, especially in today's world where there is almost too much information available at times. Consider the guidelines mentioned and work from there to choose a model that will suit you.