Greetings,

I am full of questions -- still agonizing over making a decision to buy which machine :)

How would you rate the following brands from best to worst and could you give me a reason for the top 2 and the on at the bottom so I know it's not arbitrary?

Thank you so much

Viking
Bernina
Brother
Janome
Pfaff
Singer
Baby Lock

PS If you know of a place that has this info and is reliable, I would appreciate if you could give me the link as well as rate them yourself :)

TIA

these are all very good brands that make low end, moderate end, and high end machines.

i've always found it easier to decide by first figuring out what i want to use the machine for and what features do i need the machine to have in order to maximize said use.

then using the brands you've listed find the models that have those features and compare number of features to price and test drive the models i'm interested in.

finally i'd settle on 2 machines and i'd start a price war between the stores to get the best deal and service contract.

I think it's important to decide on your price range. That will eliminate a lot of machines.

I like http://sewing.patternreview.com/sewingmachine/ for reviews of specific models because they are written by people who have actually used them. You have to join (it's free) in order to see all of the older reviews as well as the new ones. Most consumer places don't review the latest models and have different priorities than I do, especially in terms of quality, so I do not trust them as much. Personal reviews give more information about specific pro's and con's, so you can decide which quirk is likely to annoy you and which feature is going to float your boat.

I would personally rate the Bernina and Pfaff as the two highest. The Bernina purrs and is all-around totally solid on stitches, tensioning, and probably has the best quality machine quilting stitch. Pfaff is incredible for piecing because of its built-in walking foot.

Unless you buy their high-end machines, I would probably rate Singer and Brother at the bottom of the list. They have churned out a lot of low-end models that, for me at least, don't delivery quality. Some of their high-end models are loved, however. That's why I said at the beginning that you really need to establish your price range early in the process.

kluedesigns,

thank you for the reply which will come in handy when I have the rating as well; I still would like some opinions on the brands. I have looked at machines with the same features that were $500 apart... most of the time, what you pay for is what you get. So I don't pollute the opinions, I won't post which brands gave me such prices though.

Thanks again

Price is number one for me. Thats why I do not own the Bernina with stitch regulator.
I have a Viking and love it. The 10 in throat is so important.
I dont own a bunch of machines so cannot judge them.

The way I decide what machine to buy is decide if I want to pay big money for a machine that cost so much it would have to be my machine for a very very long time. I buy lower cost machines that sew great and I don't mind upgrading to a newer model every so often that has new features. I have a Singer Featherweight and nothing ever goes wrong with it and it's perfect to take anywhere. It is my will keep forever machine. The others I have no big investment in so don't mind getting rid of them and buying another when I find a great deal. Many members of my quild have the top of the line brand machines and they all admit they seldom if ever use all features of the machine that they paid so much for.

That's so true! There are a few embroidery stitches I enjoy having (especially the feather stitch), but most of them I will probably never use, including the alphabets I thought would be so important.

you might want to check out consumer reports. they have a rating system for sewing machines based on function (garment, quilting, general purpose).

i agree with the previous poster about tons of bells that never get used. i have a machine with tons of fancy stitches, embroidery module, etc and i hardly ever use them.

i'm in the market for a new machine in the next year and now i want a straight stitch, very fast, side loading bobbin, thread cutter, needle down - thats it.

i'll be considering Brother, Janome, and Juki

I have two Pfaffs and a Brother and I like them all for different reasons:

My work horse is the Pfaff ?7530? and I love it because of the built-in walking foot, needle down position, the low bobbin indicator, its smooth operation, and the stitch-in-the-ditch foot. I would not want to trade that machine.

The Brother is a low end that does nice decorative stitches (particularly the button hole for applique), it has a drop-in bobbin, and it does not mind being cartet around.


Then I got the Pfaff GrandQuilter - a mechanical straightstitch quilting machine with a large throat opening and amazing speed (control). Not too keen on it yet. I'm not sure I would buy that machine again.

I personally do not like the way Berninas handle from assorted test driving experiences. It is a fabulous line - just not for me.

Many of the quilting ladies I know have Janomes and they are in love with their machines as well.

When comparing machines in the same price category, I think a lot depends on what features are important to the buyer, how well does it handle, and which dealer will give the best deal (cost and support).

As the others said: check the reviews.

I have two Pfaffs and a Brother and I like both brands for different reasons:

My work horse is the Pfaff ?7530? and I love it because of the built-in walking foot, needle down position, the low bobbin indicator, its smooth operation, and the stitch-in-the-ditch foot. I would not want to trade that machine.

The Brother is a low end that does nice decorative stitches (particularly the button hole for applique), it has a drop-in bobbin, and it does not mind being cartet around.


Then I got the Pfaff GrandQuilter - a mechanical straightstitch quilting machine with a large throat opening and amazing speed (control). Not too keen on it yet. I'm not sure I would buy that machine again.

I personally do not like the way Berninas handle from assorted test driving experiences. It is a fabulous line - just not for me.

Many of the quilting ladies I know have Janomes and they are in love with their machines as well.

When comparing machines in the same price category, I think a lot depends on what features are important to the buyer, how well does it handle, and which dealer will give the best deal (cost and support).

As the others said: check the reviews.

I can't tell you about the high end machines, because I only have a Singer that I have had for 12 years and I use it about everyday. I don't machine quilt though only use for piecing and I love it. I have hauled it all over the country and never had any trouble. It's not a fancy machine , just middle of the road. Some day when I am too old to hand quilt, I might look for a different machine, but for now I love my little portable singer.

Ninnie

I have the Bernina 440 QE with the stitch regulator and I love it. Friends have Viking and Pfaff and love them too. I made the decision mostly based on having a really good service center for the Bernina nearby, and I bought an extended warranty because I can take the machine in as often as I want for adjustment, cleaning, whatever. I am very happy that I purchased the stitch regulator, but not so happy that I got the embroidery module. It turns out I'm not so interested in doing embroidery.

It's really important, if you buy a higher end machine, that you purchase from a shop with a good reputation for service. In my case I got quotes for price at the Puyallup Expo, then took the Bernina quote in to the local dealer and he matched it.

My number one choice is the Bernina. I currently have 2 and I love both of them. One is the 200E which I bought used on ebay and mostly all I do with it is embroidery although it will do just about anything I'd every want. My little workhorse is the 440QE with the stitch regulator. I bought this one new and didn't spend the extra to get the embroidery unit.

Most of my friends have Berninas -- the service here in our area is terrific. I can call or email them with a question and very rarely have they not known the answer. They are heavy duty and have metal bobbins. If you can't afford a new one, I'd recommend a used one. With the new model that came out last fall, which costs a measly $12,000, a lot of people have been selling/trading their old machines to get this one. So now would be a great time to buy one that's used.

Viking would be my #2 choice. I had one of those several years ago (can't remember the exact model) but it was also a good little work horse. I had problems with the plastic bobbins warping and the service in our area was just horrific.

Hope this helps :wink:

I can't tell you which is best or worst, I haven't used them all. Plus what I consider best might not be what you consider best. There are some quality brands on your list and some that I wouldn't use as boat anchors. Which one do you like ? If it does what you want and is in your price range, it's probably the best machine for you. Make sure the warranty will cover it for a good amount of time. Does it have a reputation for long life ?

Shop for the dealer almost as much as you shop for the machine, it's really as important as machine choice. A poor dealer will make your sewing experience worse. If we had to purchase new machines today, we might make a different choice than we did 3 years ago. One of the brand specific dealers for our machines, stinks in the area we moved to. I hate to walk into their store, even if it's just to buy fabric.

Things I do know, Brother makes quite a few of Babylocks machines just rebrands them. Janome does the same even makes some of Brenina's Bernette line up. The new Singer is just a hollow shell of what it used to be in a better time. Brother makes some good machines and some cheapos how do you decide which is which ? You know that the service notification on a Bernina 440QE doesn't turn on until the machine hits 2,000,000 stitches, pretty cool huh ? Quite a few machines are worn out by then. You do have to oil and clean it after every 180,000 stitches, though.

I found the patternreview site to be helpful also when I was looking. Remember the accessories on some brands are high $$.

i shopped for a new machine last summer and decided on the Janome 1600P DBX - the industrial single stitch machine with needle down, automatic thread cutter, 9-in throat and knee lift - I love it. I do everything on it (except quilting when I've used basting spray, she doesn't like it). I also have a 5 year old Kenmore, electronic with fancy stitches and a regular throat size. She is my workhorse that I use when I am going to quilting nights or when I use basting spray and then I quilt with her. The Kenmore (5 years ago) cost about $250 with markdowns and my Janome was about $800, which I got as a package deal with the Grace Pro quilting frame.

I echo the other posts that say to first decide what you want your machine to do and how you will use it, then how much you want to spend. I went with the Janome because I love quilting my quilts and knew I wanted the largest throat size I could afford without fancy stuff.

Good luck

I love my Bernina, and I love that it is made in Switzerland and is the only brand that is still a family-owned operation. I love that it seems to actually help me accomplish whatever I want, rather than fight me like my last machine (Singer).

The best thing is to go get your hands on the various machines. How do they feel in terms of operation to you? Pick one up, is there much weight to it? Are most of it's parts made of lightweight plastic or, are the internal parts made from metal? I was nearly set on buying a different brand, until I actually got up close to the Berninas. Once I saw and felt the quality of the pressure feet and the hook mechanism I was sold.

Was it my Bernina the cheapest machine? Not at all. Is it the best made machine, in my opinion it is. However, in your case the only opinion that matters is your own. A good deal depends on what you are looking for: features/price/quality.

There are lots of machines out there, go try them. Make up a packet of difficult to sew on fabrics and see how each machine responds. Have each one make a buttonhole for you. Check out how well the needle threader works...or if it even works at all. How much light is illuminated over the sewing area, how easy is it to load the bobbin or change the feet.

I wrote a review for Patter Review on my machine, and a copy of it is on my Flickr sewing room page, here's a link to the review:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/athomesewing/2720227176/

Good luck with your search, take your time and you will find the machine that is the best one for you. :)

Thank you all for the replies. Although I am still hoping for you to rank brands since it would really help me make a decision, your answers helped me narrow things down a bit, but I'm not exactly done searching... I have 28 days :P before the show prices disappear in the case of three vendors.

I'll post in another thread about a machine for which I didn't find reviews, not even at the patterreview.com site since it's doesn't apply to the current subject. :)

Well, I have a Bernina 1230 and still think it's one of the best machines ever made. If I were going to buy another machine, I'd add a Pfaff for the integrated walking foot. My third machine would be a long-arm, but that's a whole 'nother topic!

One thing I would advise is that if you think you might want to do embroidery one day, buy a separate embroidery machine for that kind of sewing. Don't try to get one machine now that will do everything. With two machines you can be piecing a quilt on one while the other machine is embroidering for you.

I can't rank the 7 brands you're asking about because I only have experience with my Janome! :? So, Janome is #1 because it meets my needs. All the rest are #2. LOL

Good morning, I own 3 machines. A Kenmore, age 33 years old. Used it until I got a Janome in 1998. I only got my Janome because my Kenmore was too loud. My Kenmore I keel like old faithful. Never had a single problem. I also bought it as a reposession from Sears. Janome is a nice machine but I got to say I bought a Singer Featherweight in November last year. She was born in 1934 and she is wonderful. I love this little lightweight and steady eddy machine. I take it everywhere with me.

Did you say what you will be using your machine for? Since I go out a lot to sew I recommend a Featherweight. It really is dependant upon what you will be needing.

My vote for Singer Featherweight! Just a thought.

I cannot tell you about comparisons, I only know what I have and I have not sewn on any of the others.

BUT I can tell you what I have. My machine is a Pfaff 1229 that I bought in, oh, I don't know, back in the early 80's??? My machine is a FREAKIN' WORKHORSE. I have used it, abused it, and NEVER taken it in for service. I probably blew the dust out of it and oiled it, oh, maybe 10 years ago???

It has made children's clothes for my 4, specialty items for my grandchildren, curtains and drapes for my house, new cushion covers for my couch, countless boy and girl scout projects, NUMEROUS flags for the drill teams at school, flag uniforms, marching band uniform alterations, business suits etc for myself, comforters, a quilt, even a set of tympani and marimba covers for a local band. Oh, and I recovered the seat of my DH's 65 Chevy pickup, complete with a trapunto Chevrolet emblem in the center of the back. All heavy fabric and sometimes so thick I had to force the thickness under the pressure foot. It is kept out and handy 24/7.

I wouldn't take a million dollars for my machine. Well, I guess I could take it, keep the dough and get another Pfaff!!!

Since I have only sewed on Singers and never even sat down to another machine I have been thinking about a new one myself. Thanks for all of the advice.

Bernina's were too rich for my blood so I finally settled on a wonderful Brother QC-1000 that does more than I will ever probably use. Price and support are top of the list and then features. I love the needle down, top loading bobbin, automatic needle threader etc!

Janome-1
Bernina-2
Pfaff-3
Viking-4
Baby Lock-5
Singer-6
Brother-7

The reason I bought a Janome 6600 is because of the price and preformance. Bernina is a good machine but to pricey for me.
I belong to 4 quilting groups (2 guilds) one group there is 6 of us that have been together 5 years and we all have the Janome 6600. One of the quilts where I belong has a membership of 275 and has its own "6600 Club". I feel you get more bang for your buck with the 6600. LOVE-LOVE-LOVE my machine

We have one local sewing machine dealer. When we first moved here nearly 30 years ago, I bought a small, very basic Pfaff from him. When I went back several years later to upgrade, he was no longer a Pfaff dealer, so I bought a used Janome. It has been a dream machine ... just a workhorse. When I upgraded again just a few years ago (when the Janome 11000 was brand new), I looked at all the machines for which he is a dealer (Janome, Bernina, and Viking). At that time, the Janome 11000 was the "Cadillac" of those 3 brands. I bought it and I have not been unhappy with it. I've been waiting for over 3 months now for a LED replacement light that has been on back order from Janome and I'm not happy about that. Last year I bought a Janome 1600 DBX. I was told then by personnel at that dealership that the matching Viking highspeed machine was a lot more expensive because of the Viking name, but the machine was identical to the Janome 1600. (I never trade my machines in ... I just add to my machine collection ... I use them all!) I have no opinion nor interest in Bernina.

I have the Brother Quattro and I love it,I had the Viking Diamond but really wasn't impressed,it just didn't seem to run smoothly,so I traded it in on the Brother and I am much happier

Just bought my daughter a Janome 2139N machine as I am teaching her to sew and quilt. I love this machine even if it is a low end machine. I personally own the older Singers and swear by them. It seemed a little touchy at first but the manual that comes with it is precise with directions and we had her purring in short order! I love this machine....DD had never sewied before and with this machine she has take like a duck to water with it. She has the gift!!!! I'm proud of her!

I have a Janome Memory Craft 7000, it's 24 years old and it's more than paid for itself. I looked at the Janome 6600, too many features for what I want it for. It's a beautiful machine, but it would have been over kill for what I needed.

I bought a Pfaff Performance 2056, I love the IDT feature, (built in walking foot) The machine is a work horse!!

After the nightmare experience I had with Janome's customer service when my 2 week old embroidery machine had problems, I wouldn't consider buying another Janome again. Should I ever have to buy another machine, it will definitely be another Pfaff.

I think part of what you need to ask yourself are what your tastes are?

Are you a decorative stitch user? Do you like to adorn everything?

I think I've done well if I get the basic garment put together, so for me, utility is important. I have decorative stitches on my machine that I've never used.

Do you like ruffles and smocking? Embroidery?

For myself, I've come to the conclusion that I would be better off commissioning/hiring someone to do embroidered motifs for me - after considering the cost of the machine, thread, and patterns for a particular motif. The odds are very high, in my case, that I would never do another one again.

The needle down function is very helpful.

I bought three Singer 237 (or 327?) Fashion mate machines. They are very Plain Jane machines - forward, backward, zig-zag, and three needle positions. AFTER getting them cleaned, oiled, and adjusted properly, they do about 99 percent of everything I sew on an ordinary machine. The downer on them is that they are heavy. And they do a nicer satin stitch than my Pfaff.

If I were buying a new machine - and I do think it would be kind of fun to have a very top-of-the-line new one, but there is no way that I can justify it with my style - I would probably go for the mid-price range machines.

Buttonhole maker is nice to have, even if one doesn't use it often, The utility stitches are great to have.

This doesn't really answer your question. It's kind of like when I was looking at computers and I was asked "What do you want to do with it?"

I didn't know enough then (or now, for that matter) to answer that question intelligently. You may be at that same stage in your sewing career.

At any rate, I hope you find a machine that is reliable and does what you want it to at a price you can afford.

Those replying would have to have tested every brand, and/or every model to determine a ranking. Even then, what parameters would we use? Even those who have recently worked selling machines probably haven't had their hands on every brand. Brands can change also, companies selling to other companies and so on.

Your request is generally too broad. :?