Ok, I am finally finally getting a nice, expensive (to me, anyway) sewing machine. I am in the $2000 price range. Both of these machines are a floor model and I can get them each for $1899. The Bernina will come with a walking foot, etc, but if I get the Viking I would have to buy it ($130). I would have to purchase a larger extension-arm-table-thing with either of them also. Bernina $75, Viking $95. So they would end up within $200 of each other.
I like the shop (local quilt store) where I could get the Bernina more than the one (vaccum/sewing machine) where I could get the Viking. Either of them will be the same as far as servicing I think. I can see the shop where I could buy the Bernina from my house, but the Viking one is about 50 miles from me. The Bernina would have to be serviced in the same town as the Viking, but the lqs would take it there for me, so I wouldn't have to drive.
I liked the knee lift on the Bernina, but I LOVED the thread cutter on the Viking.
I felt like the Viking started sewing more "smoothly" than the Bernina. And the Viking has a bigger throat- about an inch bigger.
I liked the buttons on the front of the Bernina a lot more than the Viking. The ones on the Viking I thought were hard to push.
Does anyone have any information about either of these machines that would help me decide? I am about 75 Bernina, 25 Viking right now, simply because I like the seller of the Berninas better. If she was selling Vikings I would buy that no question.
I realize that it's a personal decision but I thought maybe someone would have some input that I hadn't considered.