jillmc

Went to Janome dealer this am and test-drove the 6600. It was ok. Has a lot of bells and whistles that I will most likely not use. And the dealer wouldn't budge from the 1600 price. I need to replace my Bernina 930. May go back to the Bernina dealer to explore other options. My budget is $1000.....fancy stitches are not required. Any advice on where to start??? I didn't really care for the Bernina dealer when I stopped by a few months ago-she just pushed the $4000 QE, and I made it perfectly clear it was out of my budget. Unfortunately,only one dealer in this area.............sigh.

Skittl1321

Do you have a Brother dealer? I found they had some excellent machines, and they seemed more affordable than Janome and Bernina.

momto5

Hey....Unless you're really concerned about service under the warranty, you can order a machine online. Then if you DO need service, you will have to take it to, or ship it to, a dealer. But...most of the time, if you follow the cleaning/oiling schedule, few modern machines have to go in for problems. Hope this helps a little...

Christine George

I've had my Viking Rose since 1999 and it's still a great machine. All metal, heavy, it'll stay with you stitch after stitch. Walking foot works great. Bobbin drops in without taking the project out. Check one out.

ncredbird

If you don't need a fancy machine how about a vintage Singer like the 301 or a 15-91? These old girls are still around because they are made like tanks and will sew through anything. I have had several through my lifetime as family members have left them to me. Both models have the ability to do drop the feed dogs so you can do FMQ and they can be found for right around $100.00 more or less if you get lucky. The great part is they can be serviced by the owner with little effort. Then you have money left for other things. I wouldn't give you a nickel for any Singer built from about 1968 up to the present but the older ones are still workhorses. Ann in TN

Vanuatu Jill

I have a great Brother PC420 Project Runway-got it on-line at Amazon for $450.00 last year (NO sales tax and NO shipping!). It has optional knee-lift, needle up/down option, auto thread cutter option, comes with several extra feet that other machines make you pay extra for, and a bit larger than normal throat. Granted, it has tons of stitches I will never use, but all the important ones I wanted are there, and she runs perfectly. For the money, I think it is a GREAT machine!! My previous machine was a Brother as well, though not so fancy, and I never had any trouble with her. I only sold her because it was 240 V (I lived over seas and bought it in Australia), and now live in the U.S. so had to replace her. Look into them, for the money, you can't go wrong.

Vanuatu Jill

I miht add also, I bought the extension table for it, and the knee-lift lever stores under it! I also found it arrived quickly and in tact-YEA Amazon!

Denise S

Last Nov. I puchased a Juki TL2010Q. It is awesome! It is a high speed straight-stitch only machine. I made out 10 rag quilts and 2 twin sized quilts for Christmas. There is no way I could have done that, in such a short amount of time, without this machine. Alot of my research I did on this message board to help me make my decision to purchase the Juki. I did not want a computerized machine with hundreds of stitches that I would never use. I bought it for $899. I would highly recommend it!

DawnFurlong

I had been researching the same thing. I wasn't overly impressed with the 6600, did have a Viking Sapphire turn my head - but I already have a machine that has over 200 decorative stitches that I never use. I really considered what it was I was needing. For me the answer was a larger harp space and great straight stitch. Juki and Brother owners seem to love their straight stitch machines, by and large. I am going to go with the Brother PQ1500s. I was able to test drive one at a local dealer. However, their price is at least $300 above, depending on if they are running a sale or not, than what I can find online (both Amazon and AllBrands sell this same machine). I have searched the threads and the vast majority of people who have bought from AllBrands are very happy with their purchases and service. I like Amazon, but last I checked, their price was a little higher than AllBrands as well. I am also happy that the machine will be so straight forward, there really isn't a lot to go wrong with it. I anticipate it serving me well for many years! Price online from AllBrands - $599 plus free shipping, no tax.

Good luck in your search!

Micha

Have you considered a pfaff? There are some close to your budget and the IDT foot is great.