Littledreamdevil

Hello
I am going to buy a new embroidery machine .
One with a "usb slot" so I can download designs to the machine
I am looking to spend about 800 to 1000 dollars . If I could get
one for less than 800 that would be great, but I want to be able to
use this machine for quite awhile before I "out grow it". I would like
to get the best machine I can for that much money. Any tips you can give my
I would be grateful. I have tried to ask the questions I knew to ask everyone
but I don't know if I am asking you ladies the right ones.
I have saved my money a penny at a time and have dreamed
a having a embroidery machine for years.
I don't know much about these machine so my question is

What embroidery machine do you have and why did you buy it?
did any software come with this machine and accessories?
was the " learning curve easy or hard"
What size hoops can you get for this machine
what format can you download the embroidery design in
Would you buy this machine again or recommend this machine?
Thank you for taking the time to help me ...I will post back and let you
know what machine I buy.

Rhonda K

A few more questions for you?

What size hoop do you want to use? Do you have EMB designs? What is the format of those designs?

Look for a local dealer that offers support and classes if you are not experienced. There is a learning curve but it's easy to learn with a few classes.

There are some new models out recently. There may be some deals on trade-ins or someone looking to sell their current machine. Check your local ads. Be sure to try a stitch out first.

It's a fun hobby. There are additional expenses so be prepared for those extra items.

Look at the brand sites to get more ideas on models and features that you might like/want.

Good luck deciding!

Littledreamdevil

thank you Rhonda K

mermaid

I have 4 machines by Brother and 1 by Babylock. Brother is very owner friendly--Babylock is a more expensive copy of the Brother brand. I love both brands. They all use the .pes design format, but that is not important if you already have designs. There is free software for changing the format to fit your machine (whatever you buy). In fact, there are several free softwares. If you think you want to make your own designs, then the softwares can be very costly.The more important question for you is how large do you want to be able to embroider, because your machine will have hoop sizes locked in and you cannot add larger hoops than your machine was designed for. Many buy machines with 4x4 hoop and then are unhappy when they realize that is their limit. My machines are locked into 6.25 x 10.25, but I have been comfortable w/that size as my limit.

Rhonda K

Another feature to research is if the machine cuts the jump stitches. You want an auto cut otherwise you are cutting all those threads between the stitches. There is also a feature called auto thread if you are interested.

Innov8R

In 2003, I bought a Janome 9500 that I really liked. The largest hoop was 5X7. I enjoyed it so much that when I upgraded last year, I bought a Janome 14000 with a much larger hoop. Both machines came with minimal, but functional software. I did buy better software for my computer, so I could do more with my designs, but I would not have had to. It is easy to convert designs from one format to another, so I wouldn't focus too much on that. If I had $1000 to spend and wanted the most for my money, I would consider buying an Embroidery ONLY machine. A dedicated embroidery machine offers more embroidery features at a lower cost because it does not have to function as a regular sewing machine. With a little shopping around, you should be able to get a new 400E for about $1000 or a good used 500E might be both better if you can find one. Brother also makes a respected line of affordable embroidery machines, but I don't have any experience with those.

JanelleTrebuna

When we moved from CA to KY 11 years ago, my dh bought me a Janome 300e as a housewarming present
It has two hoop sizes and was right about $1000.00 It looks like it was replaced by the 350e at about the same price point; it has a thread cutter. I love my embroidery machine. It got heavy useage when my girls were little--as they wanted to pick out embroidery to go on all their clothes. Now I use it less often, but still will embroider blocks to go in my quilts and recently found some designs that go nicely with landscape quilts like trees, etc.
Janelle

Janelle

granny64

I have a Brother Innovis NS1150E. I purchased it from Allbrands for 100 dollars less than list price because it had been used at Houston quilt show. I paid around 1100 dollars for it. I live 30 miles from Allbrands, but they have a website. It would be very beneficial to purchase from a dealer near you so you could take their lessons on how to use your machine. I owned a Brother before I bought this one.

JudyG

Get a machine with the largest hoop you think you will use and can afford or you will be trading up again in a couple of years. Brother machines are very good machines and very user friendly. There are some good buys on eBay, but if you're uncomfortable buying online, it's always a good idea to buy from a store close to home so you can have it serviced easily if necessary.

DonnaC

I had the Brother PE 700II and loved the machine. It's very user-friendly and has a maximum 5x7" hoop. It uses .pes format designs. I paid about $700 from overstock.com.

My cautionary tale is this. Unfortunately I don't have a place in my sewing room where I can leave the machine set up all the time. In the process of moving the machine, I bumped it against the edge of a table and cracked the screen. There followed an odyssey of contacting authorized dealers and sewing machine repair people- anybody I could think of. No one can obtain the parts to fix the screen. I can send it back to the manufacturer at my expense and they will look at it and fix it - "IF" it's a warranty repair. I already know it isn't, the machine is out of warranty. So if I send it to them, they'll just ship it back to me as-is, again at my expense. It's been very discouraging to say the least.

Therefore, I would consider it a "throw-away" machine, which is really unfortunate. But if you're going to leave it set up somewhere it will be safe and sound, and you only want to spend a little bit of money right now, it is a great machine.

Sorry that got so wordy!!

Edited to Add: The PE 700 has a direct USB port to add designs to the machine. The PE 700II does not; you have to use a computer to transfer them. So if I had to do it over again, I'd spend another $50-100 and get the PE 700.