Babylock Quest or Janome 7700 or 8900
I started quilting in earnest again in August 2013. Bought little $300 Janome DC1050 to see if the hobby would "stick". Clearly, 12 little quilts later (one large throw, one large baby quilt, and 10 doll quilts later). I am certain it's an obsession. I want to be able to make larger quilts. (I sent the big throw to my friend who has a slightly larger Janome to quilt it.)
Now I really want a machine that has a large throat space, auto thread cutter, is easy to use, quiet, and of course, fits my budget.
My options range from paying $500 outright for a BL Quest on CL (six years old), a used Janome 7700 for $1200, or I could save up for the Janome 8900 (offered new by my dealer at $2599). I know that's a huge price range, but I am really weighing the options of waiting a long time for my dream machine or enjoying the process of making bigger quilts now with what I can afford. We don't believe in going into debt.
Your thoughts?