My dealer says they have a combination sewing-machine/serger. Is that for real and should I buy it?
What you’re probably talking about is really probably a sewing machine with an accessory that cuts the fabric and an overcast stitch that looks like serger overlocking, but is really only done with two threads. A real serger has loopers, which carry extra threads below and above the fabric to be brought into the overlock stitch. If the machine does not have loopers, it is not really a serger, but merely a sewing machine which is capable of performing a similar function. As for whether you should or should not buy it, that depends on whether you like it as a sewing machine otherwise. If you want a sewing machine that does what it does, maybe you might want to buy it. Don’t however think it’s a serger if it doesn’t have loopers.
