AARGH!!! Found it cheaper on Craigslist after buying one!
 

I just bought a Janome 8200 for $1700 + tax a couple of weeks ago...then today I find a Pfaff Expression 3.0 on Craigslist for $800. Main differences is that the Janome has an 11" throat, the Pfaff has a 10" throat. The Janome has a thread cutter, the Pfaff does not (not such a dealbreaker, and certainly not a feature worth the $1000 savings). The Pfaff comes with all of the feet, she bought it new about 1 1/2 years ago, still has the box. I no longer have the box for the Janome as I thought I would have this machine for years and years and seriously hate keeping boxes.

My question to you is how comparable (from your experience) are these two machines? Do you prefer one over the other and if so, why?

I, for one, would never scoff at having the extra inch for years and years to come.

Congratulations, you are the winner! Janome beats Pfaff hands down these days. It took me two 8K mistakes to figure that one out. The old Pfaffs, made in Germany, cannot be beat. The new Pfaffs, made since the 1990's, are not very well made and have lots of problems. Janome on the other hand, it what Pfaff USED to be. I have a Pfaff 2134 and a Janome 6500, both are workhorses. I have gotten rid of two newer Pfaffs in the last 4 years, TOL models, that were junk. My main go-to machine is now a Babylock, next the Janome and the Pfaff 2134 stays packed up to go to classes. This is my experience and my opinion, if you disagree, you have a right to your opinion...some have better experiences with different machines. Personnally, if I live to be 100, I will NEVER buy another Pfaff anything.

PS: Don't you wonder why they were selling the Pfaff on Craigs list so cheaply? Because it was a piece of junk!

Like I always tell my husband after he buys something. STOP LOOKING!!!!! YOU BOUGHT ONE!!!! It just makes him crazy second guessing himself.

Never look back...you will always find something to regret even if there is
nothing to regret. That's my motto and I'm sticking to it. :)
Hope you enjoy your new Janome as much as I do. I've had the Janome
6600 for a few years and never had any problem other than human error.
If I buy a new machine it will probably be another Janome - the 8200 or
8900. Haven't seen it in person yet to decide. But I sure want a bigger
throat space.

Really I have never found that second guessing or still looking to see if I got a great deal on something is worth the aggravation that it causes. Once you pull the trigger just be happy and don't go there IMHO. Congratulations on your new baby, and may you have TONS of FUN using it. Toni

Well if it bothered me that much I would have bought the Pfaff too to see which one I liked the best then I would sell the one I didn't want to keep. Once I buy something it was worth it to me to pay the price asked so I don't fret over the buy. I have the auto thread cutter and after having used one, it would be a deal breaker for me.

I was looking for a sewing table for the Janome, and ran across the Pfaff. She is selling it because she just bought a sewing/embroidery machine with a large throat. Once I buy something, I too stop looking. I am happy with the Janome, and if it's that much better of a machine than the Pfaff, I will take your word for it. I looked at the machine on the Pfaff website, the brochure doesn't do much to sell the machine in my opinion although it has a nice chart comparing their models.

I don't see a problem. I would rather have the Janome w/11" throat. Sounds like you gat a great deal. If you wait for wonderful deals and prices, you may never buy anything. If I want something I buy it and don't fret if a better price comes along. Guess maybe I have a flaw.

This is how I feel too. After having an auto thread cutter, I don't want to go back.