Originally Posted by
tonvic
OK, eyes are glazed over, but I am looking at electronic machines. Very low budget as I really don't sew much but would like something with decorative stitches, fairly large harp to do my own quilting, easy to thread, easy for a beginner to use, etc. What are some of the machines you like and why. Looking at a $200 budget so really low budget.
In defense of big box stores, I bought an electronic Brother at Costco for < $150 and it came with a ton of specialty feet, including all the ones needed for quilting. Beyond price, the advantage of buying from a big box store like Costco (or even HSN) is that they typically bundle a lot of assessories you might otherwise have to buy separately. It's so low mainenance you can't oil it even if you wanted to try. Sews very smoothly, great stitch selection, easy electronics, and it weighs about 3 pounds so that it's very portable (my cat weighs more). Oherwise, ditto what others here have said--go to a dealer and ask them to keep you and your specifications in mind (used machines offer the best value), and abandon the idea of a large harp--it is cancelled out by budget constraints.