Trade my Janome for a Bernina
 

I have an opportunity to trade in my Janome 6600 and its table for a Bernina 830LE for the unheard of price of $6,600. The dealer just got back from a show so I am assuming the machine was "gently" used there. He sold 2 and has one left. He is throwing in the jumbo hoop as well as a pile of stabilizers. I do love my Janome and have only had it for just over six months. Any thoughts (especially from Bernina owners). Will I regret giving up my Janome? The price of the machine without the trade is still reasonable but this really sweetens the deal. Opinions would be greatly appreciated!!

If the machine is gently used, go to the dealer and ask to take a test drive on the Bernina. Take your own fabric scraps and quilt sandwiches to practice on. I have found the only way to be sure is to actually try the machine.
Good Luck whatever you decide.

I definitely agree - take some scraps that you have cut to piece with and take something to embroider. See exactly what you are getting for that close to $7,000 that you are going to have to pay (in addition to what you have already paid for your Janome). Make sure that you can live with whatever features you are giving up (each brand seems to have something specific to only them), the ease that you can work with the new machine, yes there will be a learning curve but is it something that you think you can or want to master, etc. Remember Bernina feet (I have a Bernina and love it) are pricier than other brands. Not trying to turn you off on this, just somethings that I can think of if I were doing this.

If you like your Janome...why switch??? I traded in a Pfaff for my Bernina 820--my new one was nice--but the truth is, my old one was pretty darn good for about 1/3 the price!

I bought a gently used longarm and frame for that much and got to keep my Janome as well. Are you going to quilt on the Bernina?

The Bernina 830LE is pretty neat machine ... suggest you read the blogs etc to get a feel for the customer satisfaction so far.

Also ... what kind of warranty is he willing to give you on the Bernina?

How old is your 6600? I seem to remember the price of the Bernina being in the low 5 figure range, so the price you quoted is roughly 50% off which is an outstanding deal. If you like the machine, there are not a lot of glaring customer complaints about the machine in general, and the warranty is intact ... I'd jump at it.

If you change your mind and really want a 6600 back ... you can pick up one up a LOT cheaper than the discount on the Bernina.

I love Janome, hands down. I have 4 Janomes and if I bought another machine it would be a Janome.

I love my Janome and regret buying my Bernina. Bernina is too proprietary for my liking and my Janome stitches better. But the others have given you sound advice.

I'm a Bernina owner. I would try it out as suggested and if it does a nice job on your samples, jump at it! I just love the Bernina machines.

I have a Bernina 830 that I got from my dealer as it was a demo machine. It had the same warranty, etc. Love it, but then I'm a Bernina person. The LE had just come out when I got my 830, but the price was too good to pass up on the one I bought. Like everyone else says, check out the machine. Also check out the dealer. A good dealer makes all the difference.

mltquilt

I have both a Janome and the new 8 series Bernina. I wouldn't trade my Janome in. I still use it. I love my 830, but it's been in the shop getting repaired way more than I'd like.

Thanks for all the feedback. I am going to the dealer tomorrow morning armed with quilt sandwiches and scraps for piecing!! The dealer has been very helpful and truly passionate about his products. The warranty on the show machine is the full warranty offered on a new machine. Told me to come back whenever it was convenient for me to test drive both the 830LE and the 580. The main reason I am looking at Bernina is the BSR feature. I truly struggle with FMQ and hoped the BSR would make the job easier. I am not interested in a long arm....just don't have the room for that in my home. I guess I'll know tomorrow when I try it out if the BSR helps or not.

I have a Bernina and a new Janome. If I had to pick just one it would be my Bernina, hands down.

I feel the same way HMK does. i took my vacation day left from my job
when i retired and bought the 640 bernia with embroidery. i have two
janome which i kept thank goodness. i am glad i kept them i find i sew more on my janome
then the bernia. i just like the way it sews better and so much easier to run
but just my opinion./ i been tempted a couple of times to trade that bernia
in on a bigger janome. and take my losses.

You might also want to think about buying the Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen Sit-down machine. It has a huge throat to do free motion quilting and has the stitch regulator. That is what I was going to buy because I was frustrated doing quilts on my Bernina sewing machine. I wanted more throat space. If you are truly thinking about getting the Bernina just for the BSR, and you like your Janome you have, think about checking out the Handi Quilter Sit Down to use for your free motion quilting. It sits on a table and you do not need all the space that you need for a long arm on a frame. And I think the price is around $5000-$6000. I know that is what I will get someday if I ever decide to get rid of my long arm set up. I am also in MN and there are many Handi Quiter Dealers in MN. I tried the Handi Quilter Sit Down at the St. Cloud Sewing Center. They have it there. Good Luck with your choice.