SueZQ from MN

Today I looked at an Elna Excellence 680 at my local dealer and liked what I saw. I learned to sew on a 1950s Elna supermatic and it is still a reliable workhorse. They are on sale until Dec. 24th, and it seems like a machine that is packed full of features for the money. (http://new.elna.com/us/en/models/excellence-680-plus/) Does anyone have any experience with this particular model? I'd appreciate your input before I fall too deeply in love with it. Thanks.

mkc

It's a Janome twin of some sort (Janome owns the Elna brand and produces virtually identical machines under both names). Look at some of the current Janome offerings to see what it corresponds to and you'll likely find more feedback than looking at the Elna version. What you learned to sew on was a different company's machine. They are no longer around.

My initial look says it's a Janome Skyline S5, so look for reviews and posts of that machine.

mic-pa

I do not have that particular machine but I have the Elna Expressive 860 and I absolutely love it. Have had it two yrs and it has never given me a moment of trouble good luck in what you purchase and as MKC said they are made by the Janome co.

mea12

The 680 is the Janome skyline S5 and it is a great machine with beautiful stitch quality ..easy to use, stable/sturdy and the 9mm stitches are beautiful ..does not effect narrow seam at all if you are a quilter. The free/motion quilting is fluid and balanced ..be sure to follow the set-up in manual as it does require settings that you would not know intuitively beyond dropping the dogs and loosening top tension . The machine comes with almost all the feet you would need. I’m very happy with mine ..it actually replacing a Janome 6600 and so far, after 2 years, has been equally capable but with added perks that I like and as a quilter - the 1/2” less harp space has not been noticeably tighter than the 9” I was used to.

GEMRM

I have the 740 Excellence, and I've had it for several years - best machine I've ever had!

quiltingshorttimer

not this specific machine, but have about a 10 yr old Elna Quilt Pro Queen (same as the 7300 Janome) and it is still a wonderful machine--good quality stitching, and has the features I want, like needle up/down, lock stitch, adjustable needle position, lots of stitches, etc. And other than cleaning (knock on wood!) no maintenance after tons of sewing.
(plus it's nice that you can get interchangeable parts with Janome!)

SueZQ from MN

Thank you all so much for your valuable comments. My instincts told me it was the right match for me, but my pocketbook said, "Ask around before you buy". Lucky for me, Santa said he'll bring it to me this year if I promise to be good. It'll be hard, but I'll try. haha Thanks again and Happy Holidays!