Thread: Help!!! Shopping for new sewing machine. What kind do you suggest.?

You really need to go to a large quilt show with a list of your must have and your budget. Try all the machines that are within your budget. It will be a nonstop shopping experience. Think of shopping for a new DSM as shopping for a car. You need to test drive them. There are also some nice deals to be made at shows. I still am quilting on my Bernina 1530 that I bought in the 90s.

I have a Juki 2010Q and it is a great machine for piecing and FMQing, straight stitch only though. The machine I want (to replace my Janome 1860, which is an okay machine) is a Juki HZL F600 Exceed. Check out the video review by the Craftsy Gemini on YouTube.

If you budget is several thousand then any of the new Bernina 300 or 500 model machines. If you want one in the hundreds then a Brother or Janome. I would not hesitate to buy the Brother from Walmart Those machines are just fine to last for average sewing. I would buy the more expensive one there, not the cheapest they sell.

Any machine made by Brother. They are an easy machine to learn, instruction book is very easy to use, and they are durable. Prices can start at approx. $150 and go up from there to the top of the line machines at over $1000. If you will be taking it to classes, these machines travel real well. I shipped my low end Walmart Brother machine across the country from Washington state to Texas, under a Greyhound, twice, and never had any issues. I have sewn thin leather and vinyl with both machines and as long as I use the correct needle, it works like a dream.

I know I am at risk of being pelted with empty thread spools for this , but here goes.....

I have the Brother SQ9000 from Wal Mart. I have had this machine for ages (at least 5 years). It is still going strong.
The price tag was $200.00 and came with a lot of extra feet. It's "big sister" the SQ 9050 is almost identical for about the same price. I bought my Janome 1153, it's a heavy duty home sewer for $60.00 off of Overstock.com about 9 years ago and it's also running like a champ still.

Check Wal Mart, Joann's Hancock's as well as Amazon and Overstock.com for a machine. Just because it comes from the LQS or a quilt show doesn't always mean it's better, just costs more.

Originally Posted by Chasing Hawk

I know I am at risk of being pelted with empty thread spools for this , but here goes.....

I have the Brother SQ9000 from Wal Mart. I have had this machine for ages (at least 5 years). It is still going strong.
The price tag was $200.00 and came with a lot of extra feet. It's "big sister" the SQ 9050 is almost identical for about the same price. I bought my Janome 1153, it's a heavy duty home sewer for $60.00 off of Overstock.com about 9 years ago and it's also running like a champ still.

Check Wal Mart, Joann's Hancock's as well as Amazon and Overstock.com for a machine. Just because it comes from the LQS or a quilt show doesn't always mean it's better, just costs more.

I agree that the mechanical and lower end Brothers are good machines, based, not on hearsay, but on my own personal experience with three different ones. I'm sure there are plenty of fine machines out there. We have brand lovers of all different brands. I think buying a sewing machine is a very personal decision. I also have a number of nice vintage machines. But, in my neck of the woods, they are not easy to come by and some of them are not cheap and need work. It is nice to say "go get a vintage machine". If the buyer is up to the hunt and doesn't mind doing without a working machine while the hunt is on, that's great. Lots of us don't have the patience for that or the interest in fixing them up, even if it only means a little oil.

Bring on the empty thread spools for me too!!