lovelyl

When you purchase your machine, ask when it was manufactured. I purchased a Husquvarna (great machine!) but the dealer I purchased from said, "Wait until next week - we have some NEW mid range priced machines coming in then. I waited and purchased what I thought was a new, state of the art machine. When I needed to replace a part, I call Husquvarna directly and found out that my machine had been manufactured in 1990 and had been sitting on warehouse shelves since then. They released them to dealers in 2005 as a "special purchase", which is when I purchased mine. Husquvarna was not to blame (although they were not very helpful) - it was the dealer who "led me astray". I paid a lot of $$ for 15 year old technology thinking I was getting a state of the art machine. My first clue should have been that it did not have a needle threader on it. I thought it was odd that they would leave that off of a new model, but didn't ask enough questions.
Good luck, and make sure you are working with a reputable dealer! Let us know which machine you decide on! I need to upgrade! :)

pieces

Bernina gets my vote.
There are great used machines available.
I love the dependability
The knee lift
5 needle positions
Can't think of anything I don't like about my Berninas
(180E and 150 Quilters Edition)

mimi423

1.) I have a Bernina 440 QE (without the emb unit, it was alot more and I didn't think I would ever use it and I probably would never have)

2.) Everything. It purrs like a kitten, when I first got it, I was amazed how it just seemed to sew so effortlessly, the fabric just slid in. I don't know how else to describe it and it still does it for me.

3.) The BSR, the many feet that are soooo easy to change. The new stitch in the ditch foot for the walking foot.

4.) I paid 2500 five years ago. It was a special sale that my dealer was running. They had a no interest program running through Bernina that I used.

I would look for a good used machine, try Craigslist, try all the dealers you can drive to, they all have used machines to sell that have been given the once over.

Good luck and remember, nothing sews like a Bernina, nothing.

alleyoop1

My only machine is a Bernina Auroro 440 QE and I LOVE IT! I have had only wonderful results with it. My LQS is great, they have new user classes for free and you can take them over and over. I get it tuned up each year (have had it for almost 5 years). My LQS runs frequent promotions and sales. Don't remember what I paid - it was expensive - but well worth the investment. As the slogan goes, "Nothing Sews Like a Bernina." And I agree. You may want to look at "gently used" Berninas at your dealer.

Maia B

I have a few :) machines. My queens of sewing room are my Baby Lock Quest Plus and Bernina 440 QE. I don't know that I could choose between them. The BLQP has a 9" harp, Pfaff-esque IDT (PRICELESS!), plenty if light, super markings on the throat plate and bed, good lighting, a large thread stand with a thread guide like a serger for two cones, and many gorgeous stitches. I've found it super quiet, easy/intuitive to use, and trouble free except the occasional thread tangle when starting seams, likely due to operator error. The stitches are 8mm wide max. The needle thread doesn't always work on the first try, and a few more, well-placed, manual thread cutters would be nice. I paid $1300 new with some extras and a cheapo trade-in. The 440 is lighter but still solid, powerful, precise. The feet are engineering masterpieces. Easy to change and so useful. They do so much of the work of sewing for me. The foot control is precise and responsive, no extra stitches. It has 4 manual thread cutters right where you need 'em. The throat plate changes without any screws :)! Turning tight curves is easy with 5.5mm feed dogs. Needle threader a but better. Love the accessories box. It's a little less intuitive to learn, for me, but then I haven't taken a class yet. I paid $1900 used :). Both machines have the indespensible knee lift, sewing w/o the foot control, programmable needle up/down, and gorgeous stitches. I'd higly recommend either, and as the new Babylock Serenade and Bernina 5 series come out, used machines should be available as bargains. Good luck!

mmmMMM

Hi,
I'm a retired Home Ec. teacher and have used MANY machines. I highly recommend either knowing how to fix your machines or having a respected dealer close by. Something always goes wrong when you most need that machine.
I have a Janome Quilting machine 4900 and a wonderful Featherweight Singer #221 that I bought on ebay. I love them both. I do not do machine embroidery or many fancy stitches, zigzag is about all I use. The 221 has a small needle hole and the fabric of small pieces do not get lost in there.
Check out Threads magazine for machine reviews. Threads #35 and #102 have some good articles. Good Luck! Margo

juliea9967

I have the Pfaff Creative Vision 5.0 with the 5.5 software update. Have had it since it came out. I love my CV. I love the IDT (built in walking foot) that you use for most sewing. I love the all the different needle positions. I love the Grand Dream Hoop for embroidery (360 x 350 mm). I really love the beauty of the straight stitch. I love all the 9 mm stitches. I love the ability to design your own stitches on the machine. Also the ability to resize, move, adjust every which way, add to, etc. embroidery designs on the screen. It really is a great machine. They all have their little quirks, but mine works beautifully. What I paid for this machine is not relevant because I teach classes there 1 day a week and she gave it to me for 10% over her price.
I really feel that the most important thing about buying a machine is your dealer. Figure out the machine you think you want and then really check out the dealer. Do they offer free classes to learn the machine? Do they do in-house repairs or do they have to send it away? Are they really knowledgeable about the machine? Are they close enough so that you won't be inconvenienced if you do have to take it in? If the answer to any of these questions is maybe or no, I would pick another machine and then check out that dealer.
Have fun!

jbrother

I have a Bernina 730E and I love it. It is easy to set up and use, you have unlimited feet, the walking foot is wonderful and it does excellent FMQ as well as embroidery. It is a workhorse sewing machine, and I love the stitch regulator -- gives you perfect, even stitching no matter how fast or slow you sew. The Free Hand System, with the knee lever, allows you to raise and lower the presser foot without using your hands, which is helpful when you're trying to hold a quilt in place. I bought mine 6-7 years ago, and I think I paid between $5000-6000. Bernina has great financing plans like 24 months, no interest, for example (I don't know what they are offering now). If you need a really wide throat, I would suggest the 830, which I think is running about $10K, if you are a heavy user. This is not a machine for the occasional sewer. Service is easy to get on Berninas, and I've never had issues with service -- the technicians are all well schooled and know how to get you back in business quickly.

sueisallaboutquilts

I have a Bernina 150 Quilter's Edition. Got it in 2000 for 1800.00 new. New Berninas are now a lot higher but people get good used ones. They are solid machines.
11 years later I have never had a problem with it. Bernina is a fabulous machine. BUT it's the only good machine I've ever had so I can't compare it to others. I sewed on a really basic Kenmore for 25 years before I got my dream Bernina!
I have to say my old Singers are treasures too!!!! You can quilt with them but I'm just stepping into those waters lol
Be sure to let us know what you get!! :D:D

mucky

I have the Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0.

I love the IDT which is the dual feed. This is my second Pfaff and love them. The automatic thread cutter, needle threader, automatic up down of the presser foot and needle are great. I don't embroidery so don't have that machine. This one also has the larger bed which is great for machine quilting.

I don't like the fact that it is very sensitive to thread weight. The importance of a quality dealer near by is very important as one needs to learn how to use this machine. I paid $2000 for this machine.