blahel

I went to a dealer but only had a little time so only asked questions..it comes with acufeed which i think is a built in walking foot. It also comes with a 1/4 in foot (amongst 13 others) special free motion foot set which is meant to make free motion quilting easier. It also comes with APC which is an automatic plate converter which converts it into a single hole when sewing fine fabrics so they dont get pulled into the hole. It is an alumimium frame which I was happy about as dont like plastic. Also included is the acrylic extension table. i was impressed and will try to make it down there on Aug 31 when you get to use it.
It is almost $3500 Australian dollars so will probably wait until it comes down in price. They also didnt take trade ins.
I have asked my husband to give me money for all birthdays, xmas etc as it is such a lot of money for us. The other reason I want to wait is to see if this machine has any problems as some things do when they first come out.
I have heard that the jog dial on it is not all that good but do not know details.
Please Horizon owners give us your feedback!

lalaland

I don't think there is a problem with the jog dial as far as it's working, what people have commented on is it takes some getting used to, especially when you are used to punching in a number and having your stitch come up, rather than having to dial to find it. Once you master the "touch" it's quicker. Someone else commented that, even though there are 5 lights so your area is well lighted, there is one light that casts a shadow which blocks visibility but I don't remember exactly where.

luckydenny

Have you purchased the Horizon 7700? If not I can give you info on what I learned from researching it. Go on Youtube and type in Horizon 7700. You can find very detailed videos that give clear examples of the machine. Also, I found out yesterday that the dealer can set the price on Janome machines. A shop in Camden, TN has it priced at $1,999. When I saw that price I thought it was a demo machine she was selling. That is her selling price for the new Horizon 7700. The shop is Quilting Bee, you can google it. I did not purchase it YET, because I too am trying to compare this machine to others. She will ship it for a very reasonable fee.

I have a Jem Platinum and love it. Switching to a machine that is not Jenome does concern me because I love the Jenome.

Don't know if this helped you but I would like to know if you can advise me on the same topic.

lalaland

I haven't purchased it yet. My LQS sent out a postcard saying they are going to be offering it at the end of the month at a price that no one can beat - they are going to call when they are set up to demo it and give pricing. I would rather buy from my regular vendor and he'll match pricing if he can so I'll wait and see.

I'll keep the TN gal in mind too. With her I wouldn't get the free training classes which I'd really like to have.

The Horizon is a Janome machine. I have a Gem Platinum too, and a Janome 720. I use the Platinum for classes and the 720 is at our other house. I may have to sell both to help pay for the Horizon but I have a good back up machine.

I watched the YouTube stuff on it and have read all the reviews I could find. Other people have gotton it for $2000 so I'm hanging in there for the better price.

adnerb25

I just got the Horizon and I am still in the process of
setting it up. My dealer is allowing me to try it out for 30 days and I can return it if I don't like it. As soon as I sew with it, I will let you know what I like or what I don't like. I will be going to Pa. later this week to sew with my sister and my oldest daughter. We get together every summer for a week and just sew and have fun. I'm not taking this machine with me as I am not familiar with it yet. I did sew on it briefly at the dealers. All I can say is "Wow!" I want to try the free-motion before I leave because that is what I am most interested in.

MadQuilter

One of the gals in my machine class the other day had one - she had upgraded from the 6600, so she was familiar with the Janome per se. She complained that the stitch selection method on the Horizon was driving her nuts. She constantly "overshot" the mark with the dial-in wheel on the front. Others in the class said that they decided not to get the more expensive Horizon because they did not see that much advanced features compared to the 6600.

So I'm just passing on the info - something to try on for fit.

cindyg

I just got mine and have only sewn on 4 borders with it and did some upholstery work with it. I really haven't used it much but I love it. There is lots of light but none of it shines on the presser foot. Maybe I just got spoiled by using the Bright Light on my old machine. I attached it to the Horizon and I'm a happy sewer now. The best feature for me is the automatic face plate feature where it makes the needle hole normal or small for piecing is you use a straight stitch which keeps the machine from eating the corners.

blahel

thank you for letting us know what you love about the Horizon. I thought the face plate idea was good too.When you did the upholstery work with it did you find that the machine sewed well over bulky joins? Keep us updated on what else you love about it or hate about it!
:thumbup: anyone tried fmq on it yet?

cindyg

I did have to sort of pull the fabric thru when I was sewing four layers because the upholstery fabric was very thick and nubby like corderoy (sp??). I pieced cotton fabric quite a bit last night and I love the Horizon. It is SO smooth and quiet. And I love that the presser foot has 7 positions for pressure. I used that right off the bat with the upholstery. I'm anxious to get to a point where I can use more features. So far I love my machine.

Quiltmaniac2010

I bought my Horizon in April when it first launched. I absolutely love, love, love it!!! I haven't had a problem with it "hesitating" on seams, but to be honest, I am only quilting on it. (I just remembered, I did put in a zipper in my daughter's hoodie and it went over the bulky seams with no problem) It comes with the Accu-feed foot (a built in walking foot) but that foot is too wide to do 1/4" seams. Get your dealer to "throw in" a 1/4" Accu-feed foot. I bought my Horizon in Canada and paid $2499 with no trade-ins. Believe me it is worth every penny. The jog dial does take a bit of getting used to, but is very quick once you get onto it. I love that it remembers the settings from your last sewing session and automatically remembers them. You can also save "favourite stitch" with width, length, etc. remembered with just the push of a button. It comes with loads of accessories, I especially love the huge table for free motion quilting. As I have mentioned in other posts, I have mine set up on a Grace GMQ Pro quilting frame and it is amazing. Next best thing to a long-arm!! Don't hesitate ladies - just find your best deal and go for it!!

Linda