I've been looking at video's of the Janome 6500 and 6600. The biggest difference I see is that walking foot and extra teeth on the presser foot on the 6600. To anyone who knows.........is it worth the extra money for the 6600. I have never spent that kind of money on anything with the exception of a car. We have never spent that on a major appliance.
I would love to go into a dealer and sit and test drive the machines but I would be terribly afraid of being pressured. I did happen to see a short video on the 6500 that demonstrated a cord or some attachment that said put the machine on cruise control. It only showed the needle going up and down, it didn't show a sample of a quilt sandwich.
Whenever I've looked up information on the machines I don't see where it comes with an instuctional cd and for the money they are asking I would hope they would. I am a bit of a recluse mostly because so many of the people I run into in my area can be such snobs and when I did take a couple of quilting classes it just wasn't a pleasant experience. I'm not sure that i would want to take a class in operating the machine. From what I've heard it's not a machine you want to cart around.
I am not a seasoned quilter nor am I a good seamstress but I know I would like to get better at it and I'm hoping with a very good machine I will. Having said that I'm afraid that I may not be able to follow the instruction manuals as well as someone with more sewing experiece.
From the feedback I've gotten and the research I've done I am sold on the Janome machine I'm just not sure which one. Thank you ladies. God bless.