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Old 05-27-2016, 04:24 PM
  #13  
Bree123
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
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As others have said, it depends on the condition of each machine & the accessories you have for each. All other things being equal, I'd pick the Babylock Unity & the Bernina 1530. Here's why:

Bernina 1530: Bernina machines are workhorses. They rarely break or need special service. They are the leader in their class at straight stitch designs -- which is super useful both for piecing & FMQ. I personally could do everything I need to do with just this one machine because I don't do embroidery (if I want a name or something, I partner with an embroiderer in my guild). I also like that it has the knee lift, as that is something I use all the time (didn't notice that on the Janome you mentioned). The accessories cost an arm & a leg, though, so if you don't have all the accessories you want for the Bernina, I'd seriously consider choosing the Janome instead.
Babylock Unity: I don't do embroidery at the moment, but I could see myself doing more of that in the future. When I discovered the Hemstitch needle, my desire for more embroidery style options than what came with my basic Bernina 350 jumped substantially. Besides that, I see people who enjoy programming computerized quilting motifs with their embroidery machine. But there are a lot of different bells & whistles on this machine (which means more could break & it won't be as great at that all important straight stitch) and it therefore seems like a great companion to the reliability of a Bernina. But even if you pick the Janome, I'd still pick the Babylock as my second choice for all the automated features, embroidery, decorative stitch patterns, and larger harp space than the Bernina.

I am not suggesting those are the right two for you to pick. I'm only sharing my reasoning in hopes that it will help you think through your own interests & priorities. Really, they're all great machines & you would do well even just picking any one of them.
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