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Old 09-06-2015, 03:15 PM
  #7  
Bree123
Super Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
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I don't know about either. I just bought a Bernina 350 new. I have a neurological condition that makes it difficult for me to use my right arm & right leg (which is frustrating since I am right handed). All Berninas from 210 and up have an optional knee lift. From 350 up they include the knee lift. My 350 has a semi-automatic needle threader. You put it in this contraption to the left of the needle & it threads the needle for you. It does not have an auto cutter, but the cutter is on the left side of the machine & I can easily use it with my left (non-dominant) hand.

It also has push button sewing which I love. It means I can still sew basic straight seams even when my right arm has gone completely numb. You just load the fabric, set the machine for the slowest sewing speed, press the needle down button, lower the presser foot with the knee lift & the press the start/stop button while gently feeding the fabric. I'm waiting on an edge guide for my new machine, but I'm assuming based on past experience that the edge guide will help even more, especially with the push button start while I'm moving my hand down to the fabric. One of the nicest features is that you can program the machine to only take one stitch (or only a set number of stitches; or the same number of stitches it took the last time you sewed something & saved that stitching lines as a "pattern"), but on the slowest speed, it is super easy to just take one stitch to pull up the bobbin thread. I have changed out the bobbin one-handed, but it's not especially easy. Probably the hardest thing is threading the machine, but that's do-able.

It comes with an extension table to help support the left-hand side of fabric. Might be something worth checking out. They retail for $1899, but my local dealer took my 1970's trade it and gave me a $300 trade in value for it, making the 350 a reasonable price, especially with the full warranty.
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