Necchi is one of those sewing machine brands that was once very popular and then sort of faded away from the scene. If you are at all familiar with the Necchi reputation, then you can just imagine how pleased I was to finally be able to review a used Necchi Prolock PL 1020 serger.
Necchi ProLock PL 1020
It wasn’t until I came upon this one in the used machines department of the Factory Sew-Vac in Lake Worth, Florida that I had actually seen a Necchi in about 15 years or so.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Necchi brand name, Necchi us an Italian brand that was known for its unique designs. Necchi sewing machines were among the very first ever items endorsed by celebrities.
Sophia Loren, for example had an endorsement contract with Necchi. Another unique trait of Necchi sewing machines was that they were so artistically advanced that they were actually on display in art galleries and museums.
Necchi sewing machines and sergers are still being produced; but, finding an authorized dealer is difficult. The Necchi dealer nearest to my home is about 30 miles away.
Those dealerships that do offer Necchis for sale, however, also provide all of the accessories and service necessary to maintain the machines they sell.
At A Glance
The first thing that catches your eye on the Necchi Prolock PL 1020 are the colorful dials and decals. While many sergers designed for use in the home have color coded threading details on the front, I think the Necchi ProLock PL 1020 is the first one I’ve seen with such eye pleasing pastels.
For some reason, the softer shades of pink, yellow, blue and green seem to be more inviting and soothing than the standard primary shades of red, yellow, blue and green.
There is an interesting decal on the left side which shows depictions of controls for the differential feed and stitch length and width adjustment dials.
Interesting decal on the left side
When you open the door there, you will see all of these controls. I don’t know why these essential controls are hidden behind a door. It seems to me that they should be easier to get to.
Essential controls are hidden behind a door
The easy to follow threading directions are clearly displayed inside the looper door. There is, however, no space for on board storage of essential serger accessories like tweezers and a needle threader.
Features
- Differential feed
- Adjustable stitch length and width
- Adjustable presser foot pressure
- Adjustable cutting width
- Electronic speed control
- Sew with 3 or 4 threads
- Easy to use color coded threading guide
Working on the Necchi ProLock PL 1020
The threading guide on the Necchi ProLock PL 1020 is by far one of the easiest to understand and follow that I have ever seen. I am almost tempted to say that it is childproof. In fact, the schematic actually looks as if it was drawn by a child.
Easy to understand threading guide
The color coding and extremely clear details are the most user friendly directions I have seen in a very, very long time.
Once the threading process is complete, the fun part begins. If you want to make any adjustments to the stitch length or width or change the setting of the differential feed, it is necessary to literally stop what you’re doing and open the door on the left side of the machine to gain access to the controls.
A three thread, one needle chainstitch
While this might be somewhat pleasing to some peoples’ eyes, it is definitely not efficient for a busy sewing room.
The quality of the stitches made on the Necchi ProLock PL 1020 is very good. For this survey, I sampled a three thread, one needle chainstitch. While sewing, I noticed that the machine is solidly built and there is virtually no vibration at all. I must add here that I the ergonomic design actually made me feel very comfortable while working on the ProLock PL 1020.
Good stitch quality
Fabrics
- Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool
- Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet
- Knits
- Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester
- Leather/suede
- Fur
- Reptile skin
- Canvas/Twill
- Plastic/Rubber
- Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers
Accessories
The Necchi ProLock PL 1020 that I reviewed did not have a full complement of accessories. However, a search of the web yielded that the following accessories were included with the purchase of a brand new machine.
- Tweezers
- Needles
- Cone holders
- Needle threader
- Screwdriver
- Allen wrench
- Lint brush
- Suction cups for the base
- Dust cover
Maintenance
| After each use | Monthly* | Once Each Year** | As Needed | |
| Clean race hook and feed dogs | ||||
| Wipe head with soft dry cloth | ||||
| Wipe head with soft damp cloth | ||||
| Lubricate | ||||
| Service by sewing machine repair professional |
Tying Off The Loose Ends
When you consider the ease with which the Necchi ProLock PL 1020 is threaded, I would say that it is a good machine for beginners who already know how to operate a sewing machine and are ready to move up to the next level.
However, as easy as this machine is to thread, it is almost equally as difficult to operate. In my opinion, placing vital controls like the differential feed and stitch length and width adjustment dials behind a door is simply unacceptable.
For one thing, I you have a serger table like mine, you couldn’t even use it because the door is inaccessible because of the table design.
It’s one thing to have to move the serger in order to clean it. It’s another whole proposition when you have to move it in order to change a stitch setting.
Drawback – Dials behind a door is simply unacceptable
This is a waste of valuable time when you are busily working on a deadline for a client and don’t have a lot of time to waste.
I like the quality of the stitches and absolutely love the threading system; and the overall design makes cleaning away lint and dust from the looper area a cinch. But that all falls short when I look at the controls.
Some may think of this as a very small issue and to those people, I say more power to you. In addition to being easy to thread and producing great stitches, a sewing machine or serger must be user friendly. Hiding anything that one needs to get the job done is anything but user friendly in my opinion.
The Necchi brand has and continues to have a great reputation and a loyal following as far as I can tell. Necchi sewing machines and sergers are now being manufactured in Japan, which is a good thing since it is a known fact that Japanese made sewing machines and sergers continue to maintain the superior quality and workmanship that they were known for several decades ago.
The used serger that I reviewed can be purchased for less than $200, which is, in my opinion, a very good deal. As I said, I would not purchase it because of the design.
Even if I did not own the serger table that I now have, I would not purchase it because of the inconvenience involved. Yes, there are some times when I can complete an entire garment on a serger without having to adjust the stitch length or width or without having to change the setting on the differential feed, but those instances are very few and far between.
Having to open a door and close it every time I need to make an adjustment is to me the height of inefficiency. Mine is a very busy sewing room and I simply don’t have time for that sort of inconvenience.
I have absolutely no doubt that anyone who actually uses a serger for all that it can offer would feel the same way. Because of this one challenge, I can recommend the Necchi ProLock PL 1020 only for the beginner or for someone who uses their serger for very basic tasks only.
If this description fits you or someone on your shopping list, then you might want to try to find a Necchi ProLock PL 1020 for yourself. You might be able to find one on ebay or at retailer in your local area that specializes in used and refurbished sewing machines and sergers.