I'm sure this question has been asked before but------ what is a good sewing machine to buy?
The feature I want the most is a longer space for quilting ( there's a name for that space but I don't know it). Right now I just have a small Singer and quilting a queen size top is frustrating. I'd appreciate your help.

Thank you.

ranger

First recommendation is that you stay away from the low end Singers. Elna's Quilter's Dream has a large bed, but you didn't give a price range and it's a fairly expensive machine. My 2 cents worth.

Buy the best you can afford!!!! I have a Bernina. If you are buying an expensive machine take the classes they are helpful and let you learn about your machine better. Also if you buy from a dealer it is best but pick one near you. I do not like to buy machines at Walmart, JoAnns they do not offer any help if you are in a jam. Now some JoAnns have a Viking dealer and that is also a good machine. Shop before you drop any $$$$$. :wink:

This is a long term investment like a car. It will last for years and give you many years of enjoyment :D :D

Although I love the older, metal Singers, I have fallen in love with the Janome machines. You sound like you are looking for a machine with a larger throat for quilting.

A price range will help in deciding. There are a lot of good machines out there.

I have the H.Viking Sapphire 830 with the 10 inch throat. It makes a big difference when doing free motion.
I paid 1100 for it when it first came out several yrs ago. It is much cheaper now. They make a 850 that does embroidery but it was too expensive at the time.
It is also hard to find a table to set it in flush because of the size. I bought a Burtha cabinet that was extremly hard to put togather but managed.
It is heavy so not a good choice for taking to classes.

What other features are important to you besides the larger throat area?

I made a list of what I HAD to have, what I WANTED to have, and then I started reading reviews - lots of reviews. My top choice is Pfaff, but I would not shy away from a Janome either. It just depends on what you want, what works for you (test drive), and what dealer gives you the best deal.

The throat area of the machine is called the harp. The Janome 6600 has a larger-than-normal harp. That would be a great machine to get as long as you already have a free arm for hemming pants legs, etc. When I was at the fair this year, I think it was priced around $1600 -- very reasonable, I thought, for the quality of the machine. It has a built-in even-feed foot, scissors-cutting of your thread ends at the touch of a button, incredible number of embroidery stitches, etc. (Can you tell I wanted one? 8) Couldn't justify it because I already have a Bernina 1230, also a wonderful machine. It just doesn't have the oversized harp or the scissors.)

I bought my Juki on line for $599. It has a 9 inch throat and works great for quilting big quilts. It may be a little more now.

I had the Janome 6600 in my home for about a week and returned it. It wasn't a bad machine, I just wasn't in love with it. The even feed on it was not at all comparable to a Pfaff, even though I was hoping it was.

I decided on the Brother Innovis QC 1000 for a larger harp machine and it is miles beyond the Janome. The price is also comparable. I wasn't sure about buying a Brother, but this machine has changed my mind forever. It's top notch in every possible way. It has a mind blowing array of features and the stitch quality is superb. Check it out if you have a dealer in the vicinity...even if you have to travel a bit.

Just for the record, I also have a Pfaff 2056 and a Bernina 440QE, so I'm comparing it to top notch machines.

Good luck and have fun searching!,
Lyn

Thanks to all who replied to my post. I appreciate it. I think my best bet is to try out some of these machines to get a feel for what I want and like.

ranger