New sewing machine
 

I'm sure this question has been asked before in many ways however I would love some current information. If you had $1000 to 1500 to spend for a quilting/general use machine, what would you buy? Why that one?

You are right - the question has been asked and answered many times. Everyone will give you their own favorite brand. You can search for prior topics on this in the search field on this board.

I will tell you to get a Pfaff.

The next person will tell you to get a Bernina

etc

etc

You need to figure out what you want a machine to do, take sample fabric with you, go to dealerships and try them out. You will find a machine that YOU like at a price you can afford.

Good luck in your search.

I'd take a look at the new Juki Exceed 600 and the Juki TL2010Q. Both have good reviews and are in your price range. The Exceed would be a more general all purpose machine while the 2010 would be for quilting. I'd like to have both.

Me I would get a juki exceed HZ-F600 or I would find a gently used babylock espire like I had before I really loved her but it was time to upgrade. There are just too many things I loved about my machine, luckily all those features are on my new one and more

I would only tell you to never buy a singer.

Everyone one has a favorite. I only buy and use straight stitch only machines. Most people want lots of extras.

It depends on what you want a machine to do.
Mine is a Viking Sapphire that I bought about 5 yrs ago. It has some things I like. The auto lift foot in needle down mode is the best feature, great for applique and chain pieceing. You do not have to lift or lower the foot. The 10 in throat. Drop in bobbin.
I dont like the room it has to change the needle, it is too low.
The 1/4 in setting is to big.
It has tons of stitches but I rarely use them.
I have a strait stitch machine on my long arm table and hate it. Primative threading and under the machine bobbin case, what a hassel. It is a Baby Lock Jane.
I have several cheap Brother machines and all are good machines. One is my first quilting machine and it came with a walking foot and extension table for $129.
A light weight Brother for travel for around $80.
I love the little $300 dollar Brother E500 embroidery machine.
It only does a 4 in design but for the price its all I need and it is a workhorse. Easy to thread also. It uses a card so had to buy Ped Basic to add designs, expensive.

I just bought a new Viking Tribute 140c for $999. It was the demo but the new sale price was only 1199. I love this machine. For me a large harp space was the most important thing. It has 10" of space. I love to quilt my own quilts and this would make it so much easier. But it has tons of other options that makes it a super machine. It has the needle up/down. A special 1/4" stitch and the sensory system. What this does is it puts the pressure foot down and up for you. It makes machine applique a dream. When then needle is down and you stop the foot goes up. You rotate and just start again. And of course it has many more features. It is most important that you really list out features that are mandatory to you and what ones you can live without. I had to live with out a couple features to avoid spending another 1000 but I haven't really missed them. i.e. Auto thread cutter. Its going to be hard in that price range to find a machine that really has every feature you might want.

I would go to the dealers and check out the different brands. You never know what will appeal to *you*. When I first got into sewing, I was given a Singer that I used till it died. I got it in my head that I wanted a Babylok for my first machine, but when I went to the store, nothing was just right. Then people told me to get a Bernina, so I went to that dealer but they were too expensive. They did have Janomes there, and I found one that's worked very well for me.

So I'd say shop around and maybe make a list of features you like. I like an auto threader and some sort of thread cutter. I also wish my machine had a blanket stitch, but that's for my next machine, I guess!