Thread: Hello! New here and jumping in with Machine Purchase help

I just wanted to say welcome to the board from the Gulf of Mexico way down at Corpus Christi, Tx.

Never give up on your dream machine, whatever it might turn out to be. I have a friend who bought a Symphony a couple of years ago. She loves it. I look at it and think... damn is that going to be expensive when it breaks. My dream machine is my 1970s Bernina 830 Record. I have run it for 10 years now and no signs of it fading. She looks at it and wonders how I can sew anything on it.

Think about what you NEED in a machine and then budget that much money for those features. Every little cool doodad you add to a machine is one more thing that can and will break.

tim in san jose

Apparently the Janome 8900 is very similar to the 7700:
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...w-machine.html

Isn't this board wonderful when you have a question? Buying a machine is such a personal decision that I'd encourage you to get the one you love if at all possible. Personally, I think I'm pretty eclectic. I have a Janome 7700 which I love and it is great for FMQ. BUT, I also have an older Bernina and a Viking Diamond. All this is to say, different machines meet different needs and I admit I'm fortunate to have these toys. The big key is a dependable dealer.

Re the Janome, if you find the model you love but not the price being given check out Ken's Sewing Center in Muscle Shoals, Al. I don't live anywhere near them but after researching the Janome I wanted a few years back I bought it at a quilt show from them because their price was much better, they offered free shipping and have a wonderful reputation for reliability. Yes, if there is a problem it can be a pain but I didn't have a Janome dealer nearby anyway and when she needs service I have to drive over an hour to drop off and then again pick up so the $$ savings were worth it to me.

Good luck on your hunt. PS I do love my other machines as well and if the price wasn't SOOOOO high would likely upgrade to one of the new Berninas. However, the old one is great, just doesn't have the large bed for FMQ.

I bought a new Juki TL2010q almost two years ago and love it. Never had a single issue with it and I have made over 30 quilts on it. Limited to straight line stitching, but is heavy duty, great throat space and has never skipped a stitch on me or had any tension issues. For $1,000, it is a fantastic machine. I did by it locally, but it has never left home since I got it!

I bought a Janome 7700 from allbrands.com for $2,499.00 with free shipping in June and I love it. I love the big throat, the Sew Steady table I bought for it, the number of stitches and all the specialty feet that came with it. I had to fiddle with the tension when I first got it but that was and easy fix. I haven't done any FMQ with it yet, but that's next.

Have fun shopping for your machine.

I have the Janome 8900 and it is a fantastic machine. Buy the special bobbin case for FMQ and you are good to go. I purchased mine for $2250.00 from TOPS in Sarasota, FL., shipping included, two years ago. I don't know if they are still able to ship out of state, but they did when I got mine. Since I couldn't take advantage of their classes and support, I paid $100.00 for unlimited classes from a dealer closer to me.

I also have the Brother PQ1500s, which is basically a Juki 2010 clone and I really love that machine. For a while I had the Brother set up for FMQing and the Janome for everything else, but do like the extra 2-1/2" harp space in the Janome so use it for almost everything now. The Brother is less expensive than the Juki. Since I just purchased a Bailey Home Quilter on a frame, I should sell the Brother, but just can't bring myself to do so yet.

If you can afford it, I don't think you'll regret getting the Janome 8900. But I echo what others are saying -- I would hesitate getting it from that same dealer.