Originally Posted by
Taxgal 17
I would like to purchase an inexpensive embroidery machine to quilt with. What kind do you use and any features I should make sure it has?
My first embroidery machine was a Brother PE-770 (under $600 on Amazon). All I wanted it for was to make a few quilt labels, I thought. It's a very nice machine in its price range. I never realized you can quilt on them, and once that came to light, I was frustrated by the 5" hoop width. You can (and I did) buy a longer hoop, but not wider. This was simply too restrictive for quilting anything except very small quilts. After only a couple of months I started shopping and found a good used Ellisimo with the Gold upgrade at the local Baby Lock dealer. Even at about half the price of a new one, it was enough to make my DH blanch! For me, this kind of investment is a commitment. If there was any chance that I'd lose interest and not make proper use of this machine, I would not have bought it. I put over 6 million stitches on it the first year. It has a camera, which is a tremendous help in placing the design. It's also a sewing machine and has a lot of features in addition to the embroidery function.
Other than lucking into a really good used machine a I did, I don't know of any bargains in embroidery machines that can handle a large enough hoop.
The Ellisimo series is no longer being made. Baby Lock's very similar machine in the current line up is the Destiny II, which accommodates even bigger hoops and has even more bells and whistles. I would say that even if you buy a used embroidery machine, do get it from a well-established dealer near you who can offer support and repair service. I have had no problems so far, and I have a lot of confidence in our local Baby Lock dealer that I bought it from.They included some warranty coverage with my purchase. These machines are big and heavy, and you don't want to even think about shipping it anywhere for service.