petthefabric

The Brother 1500S is my favorite. It's no bells/whistles, no zigzag, no computer. What it does have is: excellent straight stitch, large harp size, thread cutter, excellent fmq. The only time I use another machine is if I want zigzag for embroidery, someone is visiting and using it (it's so easy, you just can't damage it), I'm traveling for 1 day (it's heavy). People say there's a Juki just like it, but it isn't. On Brother, there's a pin behind the feed dog that pierces the fabric and acts as a walking foot, then the fabric layers don't creep.

Oh yeh. And another thing. It's around $700. That's cheap for the quality of the machine. And it hasn't changed in 20 yrs. It's so reliable.

Dolphyngyrl

My brother 6200D has all the features of the VQ3000 and I have loved everything about it for sewing and quilting. The saphire is a lovely machine to sew on, stitch quality is superb but I still prefer my brother. The Janome did look appealing but I haven't used it to compare to my brother but feel it would be comparable but you need to test to see what you like. The muvit foot is a lot different than the built in walking foot of the janome and the regular walking foot of the saphire. I do prefer my muvit foot to my walking foot by far and it sews so many difficult materials with ease. But again I have never used a built in to compare and once I started using the muvit foot it has sewed so beautifully, even with piecing with the 1/4 inch attachment. I think I would definitely go for the janome and brother feature wise over the saphire because they have more to offer.

NJ Quilter

I have a different model Viking - Platinum - and I love it. Never have an issue with it and it has all the bells and whistles that I need. Have never had a service issue in the 12 plus years I've owned this machine.

JANNY

sounds like everyone has their favorite machine. You have to just decide what one fits your budget and needs.

asabrinao

I am another fan of Juki! I have both a TL2010q and an Exceed F400 (though I might be upgrading to the DX7). I love the Juki a lot. The Exceed was such an easy machine to learn on when I was a newbie, even though it has lots of bells and whistles.

Jordan

I have a Janome 6600 and absolutely love it. I bought it used from lqs about 6 years ago and have not had any trouble with it at all. I love the many stitches it provides, the needle threader and it clips the thread when I am done sewing a seam. I might suggest you try out each model to see which one is comfortable to you and whatever meets your needs. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Quiltangelady

I have a Bernina B560 and love it. I did not buy the embroidery attachment but the sewing machine itself is great. I like the alphabet because it goes up to 9mm. This is my second Bernina. I think you get a walking foot with it and that is something that makes quilting so much easier.

pandamommy

Which one has the dealer with the best support?

Cybrarian

A dealer who has great support/customer service and classes to help you use all the features of your machine is as important as choosing a machine with the features you need and want. All of these companies have a machine that will fit your needs although it may be a different one than those mentioned. Number your dealer choices 1,2,3 then go to each with a list of must have and would like features and request demos on machines that fit your list and their best price. Also ask what they include with a new machine purchase package.

Mkotch

I wore out my Viking Rose but had many years of good quilting out of it. Now I have an Elna Excellence 920 and it "feels" just as good. It allows me to do more than quilt - has decorative stitches that I use occasionally. It all really depends on what you want in a machine (I do have an older Viking 100 still going strong but not for quilting) and if it's going to be your primary or only machine or one in a "fleet."