I have a Bernina 1260 and an Artista 165. The 165 is quieter than the 1260, however, I love them both and would never buy another brand. I have had the 1260 for around 20 years and never any problem with it. I do, however, maintain the machines very often. Hope this helps!
It does make a difference whether or not the machines are bolted down into a sound cabinet or just sitting on top and too, i think the heavier the machine (metal gears) is the less vibration you will have. I have my daughter's old (20 or so years) Elna here and it has metal gears, but vibrates bad on the table. I think if it were in a cabinet, bolted down, it would be a nice little quiet machine.
Last edited by maryb44662; 11-03-2012 at 06:35 AM.