Originally Posted by BellaBoo
I test sewed on the new Bernina, about $9000, all day for a class and it was nice but didn't sew a straight seam any better then my other machines I have. I can afford to buy any machine I want whenever I want it and DH wouldn't bat an eye but the best value for the money I would buy a top of the line Kenmore machine.
I have:
Brother 1500
two Janomes
Four vintage Singers including FW, 301, 15 and the first Quantum model.
I had the chance to use a brand new top of the line Kenmore and it's fantastic.
My first machine was a kenmore, probably 25 years ago...It was a 12-stitch I bought brand new. That was the worse machine I ever owned and didn't know any better to try something different. I fought with it every time I got it out, it would jam, couldn't sew over anything of substance and was always a headache. I finally gave up sewing until about 8 years ago. I purchased an old singer 630 in a cabinet for $20 with all the scissors, threads, bindings, pins etc already in the cabinet. I LOVED that machine and used it continuously for about a year until it blew up on me (motor gave out). The singer re-ignited my joy in sewing. I have a Bernina Artista, a Pfaff 7570, an old Singer 66, a fw, an old Elna Supermatic, a light Janome for travel and 2 sergers (need to sell one but now sure which yet).