Advice and Help Choosing a New Embroidery Machine
 

I have never owned an embroidery machine and I know zilch about them, but I am in the market for one now. My DH wants to buy me one for Christmas this year, and I have done some research, but now sure which brand and model to purchase, I do not want to get the most expensive, because I am not planning to start a business, but he has indicted that he is willing to purchase one in the price range up to $1,400-$1,500. I really want one with a hoop large enough to do embroidery on quilting blocks in the future, so I think I really need one with a hoop larger than a 4x4. I already have my preferred Bernina and FW sewing machines, so I'm not really looking for a sewing/embroidery combination, I don't think. Here are a list of some I have checked out and would like to know if anyone on the board owns one of these makes/models and what you think of them, problems if any, likes and dislikes and suggestions please. Some of these are combos Singer EM200 Super Embroidery machine, Brother SE1800 Sewing-Quilting-Embroidery with deluxe starter set, SingerSE300 Legacy Embroidery, Brother PE770, Singer Futura XL-400 with multihoop capability, Singer SEQS-6000 Fuura Quartet. I am not so much against a Janome brand, but I don't like their machine setup with the embroidery section on the right hand side of the needle which may not work with embroidery work on quilts. I also live at least 85+ miles from a major city to get service if needed and to really test one out- this city only carries Janome and Brother machines . Please send pm messages you do not wish your comment to be published and I will provide my email address. I am not trying to promote or demean any brand. Thanks for your help here- sorry for the long thread but DH is getting anxious for me to decide,so quick responses are appreciated.

I have the Brother PE770, which is roughly 1/3rd your budget. I rarely embroider so it's the perfect machine for me. It comes with a 4x4 and a 5x7 hoop, and there's some way you can buy a larger hoop to do continuous designs but I haven't tried that.

My main complaint about the machine is the screen. It's a tiny screen without very good resolution, so it's REALLY hard to tell what part of the image its showing you it will embroider next. If I ever buy another embroidery machine, I will look for one with a better screen.

I second Sewnoma's thoughts. The 770 is dandy except for that screen...its hard to tell what section is pictured for emb thread changes. Its otherwise great but so you know, the SE1800 has the very same screen...and that machine is the same as the Simplicity SB8000 that I have now. I do very little embroidery so I can put up with it while also having use of the nice sewing side of that machine which is actually very nice. To complicate matters, 5x7 embroidery field is going the way of the 4x4 field and is now considered the minimum size. I'm noticing more often designs I'd like to buy but the sizes available start larger than 5x7. If embroidery is your main interest, the 770 fits your budget best and it does embroider beautifully ..the better screens will exceed your budget. Janomes 500E is worth a look also.

I have all Vikings, but I do have a comment on the Janome se up. My first machine was a small Brother, embroidery only with a 4X4 hoop. As soon as I started using it, I knew that I wanted a larger hoop. The thing that I LOVED about that machine was that the hoop attached on the right side of the needle. If you are planning on doing any garments or bags I found it so much easier to have the hoop on the right so that the bulk of the item was neither squashed into the harp of the machine or laying on top of the embroidery arm mechanism with the possibility of it catching on it. I never got the hang of quilting my quilts in the hoop. I did borders, where I wasn't trying to get the quilt into the harp and I did several QAYG, where I quilted the blocks individually then joined. See if there is an 'endless' hoop available for the machine you are considering. This makes quilting borders really easy. Having said this there are lots of videos out there with tips on doing this successfully.
I applaud your husband's enthusiasm, but don't rush into a decision!

I would look at the brother 1400e or the Janome 500 both are good models with decent hoop sizes but beware it is addicting and hoop envy is a real thing a few years ago I mostly did 5x7 and 4x4 but now find myself doing a lot of 8x8 and 8 and 7x12. I would say to try to get at least a 6x10. Brothers will be the most user friendly. Also keep in mind that many singers are tied to the computer and their software to run.

I own 2 Brother and 3 Janome embroidery machines and here are my thoughts. I actually like the Janome hooping system better than Brother. The hoops are easier to attach to the machine, and the carriage arm being on the right doesn't make hooping a quilt harder. In fact, not having the arm underneath the bulk of the quilt like it would be if the arm was on the left is better I think. The Janome 500e and the 400e both have a large color screen, and I find the Janomes are easier to operate than Brother machines. The 500e has an 8x11" max embroidery field where the 400e has a max 8x8, that's the only difference between the two machines, with about a $500 price difference. They both have a very large extension table too, which is another plus.
I'd stay away from the Singer machine, it's not getting very good reviews.

Cari

I agree with others about the hoop and screen sizes. You will want to make blocks from 12-20" if you are keen, and the less rehooping you can do, the better.

Perhaps your local dealer knows of someone who has upgraded their machine and is looking to sell an older one, you can pick them up quite often, and they are like cars - take them out of the showroom and the price drops drastically. Many ladies upgrade as soon as a new model comes out.

I bought 2 of my Brothers as used machines, and haven't looked back, and also have a Brother 4000 new. The reason I mention your local dealer is they would offer you lessons and classes moreso than if you had another brand of machine, and can tell you how many hours work it has done and any service info as well.

I also have the Hoop-It-All setup for my 4000, which would be worth looking into, but they are not made for all machines. This is a hoop with a 14 1/2" sewing area, and I can turn it to use on 4 sides, and not just 2 like the normal hoops. just a bit of extra info.

Do not rule out a Viking Designer I. I bought mine used from a dealer with a year's warrenty. I've had it 6+ years and have had no problems and just love it. (I wouldn't buy used from anyone other than a dealer)

My son has singers and seems to have more trouble with them and you need a computer to use them. I have babylock which is much like the brother as they are the same company and they are user friendly and have a lot less problems.

i had the brother 1400 and liked it a lot but traded it in for the janome 500 E.....like that too and just finished a full size quilt...embroidered the blocks with virtually no problem (needle fell out in the middle of one block but that was operator error).....both are fine choices but i prefer the janome since it came with more hoops and can connect directly to a computer or a usb stick....don't remember whether the brother could connect to the computer.....if you want disney designs, though, you're limited to brother i think.

I started with low end Brother. The hoops were too small for what I wanted. I was able to upgrade to a used Bernina Artista 730e. I have the largest hoop they make for the machine. It too has gotten too small for quilt blocks. I would go with a multi Needle machine with the largest hoop area you can afford. I have upgraded to a 16 Needle machine with 15 by 17 stitching field. I saved for 10 years doing some work for others.

You might want to consider an unused machine. I bought my Bernina used and have not had any problems with it. However, they are heavier machines because they have metal parts.

My Babylock is easier to use. Since and Brother are made by the same company, you'd want to look at the features that you really want in order to make a decision. I'm make a list of what you desire in a machine and find a machine that most closely matches what you want.

My husband bought me a Baby Lock, Flourish (of course I picked it out). I'm lovin it so far. Largest hoop can stitch a 6"x10" design.

I also have the Babylock Flourish. I love it! I got it in July for 1500...very easy to use!!!!

I encourage you to follow the embroidery thread on the Quilting Board: Embroidery Machines Lets Chat & Have Fun
The folks there have helped me time and time again. I highly recommend it.

I wrote a longer post about the pitfalls of Bernina attachments but lost it while looking up the Embroidery Machines Lets Chat & Have Fun thread.

Here's my re-written (cuz I can't find the original) cautionary tale: There are sometimes hidden costs associated with embroidery machines/attachments!

In my case, I purchased a Bernina 635 with the embroidery attachment. Having discovered that many of the designs I wanted to embroider required the Mega Hoop, I asked for one last Christmas. My wonderful family came through! When I tried to use it, though, my Bernina 635 went crazy. Nothing it did made any sense!

Eventually I took it to the dealer. Turns out the 635 can't handle the Mega Hoop without translational software ($200+) that can only run on a PC. Since I own a Mac, that would require an even larger investment! I felt (and still do) "taken."

My advice to you is to ask many questions - many more than I did! I referred you to the Embroidery Machines thread on this board because the people there can help you formulate those questions.

Best wishes!

I got my Viking Topaz thru a dealer and it was actually the floor model. My dealer gave me the full warranty, lessons and if I decided to up grade within a YEAR I could have full trade in value. I did need the lessons, those machines can be rather intimidating and there is a learning curve. And I was very fortunate to have a sewing buddy that worked thru a lot of the curve with me. My dealer was more interested in teaching me the machine and selling the designs on discs than how to get designs on the internet and making more custom items. But then I went to the Road to CA quilt show and connected with an dealer from Orange County and he showed me the program and all I could do with it. I now have another local dealer that does sell the programs so helps with any and all questions.

I wanted the Mega Hoop too. But decided the cost would not support how often I would use it and opted for the hoop with the magnets instead. (I bought extra magnets to hold the fabric better.)

I do want to recommend you get the largest hoop machine you can afford - even if you don't think you will ever need one that large, believe me you will. Embroidering with a machine becomes addictive and I use my largest hoop, which is 7.8 inches x 10.2 more than any other.

My machine came with the 4 x 4 and the 7 x 10. I bought the 5 x 7 with the magnets.

I have a Pfaff Creative Sensation. I absolutely love it and would advise any one who can afford it to get it. I have also owned Brother machines and I loved them, too.

I have the Brother PE770... I do think the screen is very hard to use, and that I would be experimenting more with machine embroidery if it had been easier to work with.

My vote is for any Brother, great quality & user friendly, if you, or family members are Disney fans then look for a Brother model with a "D" after the number, they are the only machines that can do Disney. I've had different Brother models for the last 15 yrs, from inexpensive to TOL's, love them all.
Please realize, once you get the machine then you will need specialty threads & stabilizers, but it is all so much fun! My latest project was putting Christmas designs on fleece jackets I found at a bargain price, my daughter & granddaughters love them. I also always make a label for my quilts using the embroidery machine, sometimes even a poem & the quilt history. Fun!