Carrie in PA

I have a Brother LS2125i That was a walmart "$99" special around 10 years ago. The current comparable model is around $85 now. Honestly i hate it but i continue to use it. I had a day where i was so angry i was ready to give up sewing all together and i threw some serious temper tantrums. Since then it seems to be working better. It refuses to do anything other than a straight stitch. Doesn't like thicker fabric.

With all of the negative stuff said, i have been hearing really good things about the newer brother machines. I have even considered upgrading to a new brother with some of the prettier stitches. If you purchase one from a store like walmart, keep your receipt and try it out right away. Test it like crazy. If you hate it then you can take it back and simply tell them you hate it because it isn't what you thought it would be.

Bneighbor

I currently have 4 Brother sewing machines- one in each price range. Of course the low end does not do all the things my Quattro offers, but then, the price on the Quattro had several more "0's" on the end of the price tag. I have used every brand of machine out there except Bernina- (have a friend who has one who will be bringing hers to a class next week, so I will run it for a while). Every machine (and their owners) have their quirks. Personally, I prefer Brother machines over any other brand-Baby Lock being the exception, since they are so close in comparison as they are almost carbon copies of each other. You might check a local sewing store that might carry a "gently used/previously loved" higher-end Brother. You could get a "bigger-better-faster" model (husband's words-he builds and races drag cars) for the same prices as a "low-end" model. Plus you may be able to wrangle a few lessons, and you should always have the support for questions from the dealer. Since I have used so many different machines over the last 40 years and have taught on all of them, I would have no problem purchasing from Walmart or Costco since I know these are not machines that have all the bells and whistles and I would not expect to have a learning curve, meaning: I don't need help to learn or use the machine. Do your research and shop with confidence. Buy the best machine for the money you have.

ljptexas

I have the D370. Would l-o-v-e to upgrade but the $!! I don't need the Disney patterns anymore, didn't use them too much anyway. I could spend $ on a box to attach to web to transfer to disk or just buy an upgrade. Decisions, decisions!!!

FURBALLS

I have the brother XR1355 from costco. I really like it. I use it to piece all my quilts on it. I also have a singer confidence quilter 7469 that I do all my FMQ on. Both are inexpensive. These are my go to machines. Love them both.

Blackberry

I love this machine so much that when Amazon ran it for an extremely good price ($144, free shipping, no tax) I purchased another one just in case the first one that I bought 4 years ago goes south on me. I think you will love this machine. It is very light weight and the detachable tray is very, very nice.

QuiltingCrazie

I have two brothers and they are work horses! Used one for 16 years, still sews great I wanted more stitches my husband bought me a computerized brother. I quilt and sew weekly ... Going strong after 18 mo. I take care of my machines and clean them regularly

Skratchie

I have three Brothers, and one that I sold, and regret it's gone. They've been at all price points, and I will tell you they are my favorite machine. I have a Janome 8900, and I prefer to sew on my cheap Brother compared to it.

quiltstringz

I have several friends who have Brothers (high and low end) and have heard nothing but good things about them.

As to the Costco issue - if you don't have a membership ask around one of your friends might!

MadQuilter

I have a Brother as a backup. It is easy to use, easy to maneuver, easy to clean, easy to fill and load bobbin, and it has great stitch quality. When the stitch quality gets wonky it is an indicator that I haven't cleaned it or that it needs a new needle. It is also not temperamental with threads.

My other machine is a Baby Lock which is really just an upgraded Brother. I can endorse the brand from my experience.

What I would NOT buy is Pfaff, Viking, or Singer.

cizzors

I have 4 Brothers ranging between 2 and 25 yrs old. Pricing between $50-$600. I have a Husqvanna. I really wanted to like that machine ($500). Nothing but Brothers for me.