I stopped at a sewing shop yesterday and they let me play around with one of these machines. Now, I can't stop thinking about it. Do you think I am in love :)? Can anyone give me advice, comments, experience with one of these machines? I currently have a 15 year old plain jane Singer, which I like but is limiting. Thank you all in advance for your thoughts.

Just wondering,did they have a price on it. I was thinking of going to look at them too. Will it knock my socks off?
Pat

The lady at the store quoted me $2300 but there was a flyer on the machine that said $2100. She said she only worked part time and wasn't sure of the price. She also said the owner was very nice and would bargain with me. I'll be going back up there (it's 170 miles from me) next weekend so I think I will go and see what she will do. Wish me luck :)

Yes I do wish you good luck. I may look them up on the pc,and find a dealer close to me. I think the one I wsa wanting to trade for is a lot more money than that. But I do like the janome. That is what the one I have is. Thanks and good luck.

Pat

I have a sapphire 870 and I love it. I went from a relatively basic Brother machine to this so the bells and whistles were all new to me. My favourite features are the thread cutter, the needle down, the sensor system thingie and of course the lovely big throat. The only problem I've had with it is in FM quilting where the top thread keeps breaking but I think this is probably operator error mostly!!!
I don't know what the prices are like in the US (I'm in Ireland) but I paid a lot less than $2200 for mine and that was nearly a year ago. Since then the new Diamond has come out so I'd imagine they'd be even more inclined to deal with you?

Best of luck with your decision.

IF the machine has 'measured thread' - that could be why the thread breaks doing free motion - you need to set the stitch length on as long as it will go... hopefully that will help

(like set it for basting even tho you aren't basting)

I purchased the V iking 870 about 6 months ago and I have really enjoyed using it. I had a husky Victoria and it has been a real work horse so I am definetly sold on Vikings. :-)

lust is when it knocks your socks off...love is when it washes them for you:)

I have been using a Husqvarna Viking 850 for about a year and a half. I felt I deserved an update, since my machine was 25 year old; a very basic Kenmore. I absolutely love the machine. It had just been out on the market. What a difference it is to sewing in the 21st century.

From Don-isewman1.. Just a quick note, on sewing machines Husqvarna viking. I have 2 H vikings Freesia 415 and Viva.. I only have 15 differant stitches on both machines..But nothing rear real fancy..Anyhow, I like both of mine, and alternate, them when sewing. I would say go back and play some more..It may be worth it.. Don

I am hoping to go back and play with it on Friday. I am going up there Wednesday evening, my 2 year old grandson having tubes and adnoids done on Thursday. So, if he feels good enough for Mimi to leave him I will play around with it on Friday and maybe purchase before I head home on Saturday. It has 135 different stitches and 5 alphabets. I am interested the the Fab-U-Motion thingy, don't know if they will let me play with that or not. Anybody ever used one?
Thanks for all the advice.

I have a Fabric Mover. It was the original of the Fab-U-Motion. I think the only difference is the hole is bigger to accommodate the new Diamond. I played with the one at the store and loved it. I finally bought one from a poster on the Quilting Forum.

It will work fine when my machine comes home from repair servicing. I have a D1. The Fabric Mover or Fab-U-Motion will make free motion easier, but don't expect it to be as easy as a mid or long arm quilting machine.

I think you would like the features on the Viking machines.

Mellow Yellow,

At today's conversion rate, $2300 USD would be 1275 GBP or 1600 EUR. I think that would account for your much lower price on the Sapphire. Now, is not a good time for Americans to travel to Europe. But, you sure could get your money's worth here.

Wow, I paid 1100 for the Sapphire 850. The only problem with it is that the 1/4 in foot was not covering the feed dogs and it would jerk to the right.
So I had to buy an edging foot and adjust the needle over all the way to 3.5 to get the 1/4 in. Cannot get a scant 1/4 in at all. Big defect but otherwise it has all the bells and whistles and sews like a dream.

Quiltykitty ~ I, too, have a Fab-U-motion (with opitional stitch regulator mechanism) that I bought this year to use with my Pfaff. Hate to say it, but it has been a huge disappointment for me. I guess I'm just not coordinatd enough to get the hang of that small window space that you have to work in. I tried all summer, practicing on scrap fabric and trying to master it but no such luck. I'm planning to sell it. Anyone interested? I think I'll post an ad on the quiltboard ~ Nita

How do you like the Pfaff?

Patty ~ I absolutely love my Pfaff; The built in walking foot makes all the difference in the world when it comes to piecing quilts. I have the Pfaff Expression 2038. My previous machine was a Husqvarna Platinum 750. It was a decent machine for garment or utility sewing. I was not happy with the walking foot. My quilts just were not piecing together well. I just wish I could "get my head around" the Fab-U-motion Table to use w/ my Pfaff for free motion machine quilting, but it just isn't my thing, I guess. I think it is kind of like "patting your head at the same time as rubbing your belly"! I just don't have the coordination. my Fab-U-Motion is virually brand new, barely used and I'm planning to sell it. No point in keeping something that I'm not going to use. Nita

I have the Platnium 750 Husqvarna and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! I sold these machines some years ago when I worked at a quilt store. I got to play on all the Husqvarna machines and the Baby Locks. Husqvarna is a very good name

Oh boy what a machine! Good luck this weekend and happy bargaining! My new machine has lots of stitches and I just love it. You can quilt up a quilt in no time flat, and with such pretty stitches. :D

Thank you for the info,I have been looking all these machenes on the computer. Shopping and plan to buy someting soon. Just don't tell my Hb,I plan to tell him I bought one,but not that I am shopping. Once I have it what can he do.Ha...I learned that from him by the way..
Pat

I took the plunge and bought the 870 today! I bought a floor model so got a little bit of discount. I also bought a walking foot. Can't wait to get home tomorrow and start playing with it. Any way, I figure this will keep me busy for a while figuring it out. Wish I didn't have to go to work for a couple of weeks so I could stay home and play.

When you've had a chance to play with it for awhile let us know what you think. How exciting for you. Have fun!!

Good for you,glad to here you got a new onew.

My frind and I were down to visit her Mother at Camdan Mo. So while we were there we stopped off at a quilt shop in Versals mo. and they had the viking machines too. So we looked at them They didn't have one like you got,but I wanted the sew and embroardrey mach. She showed us a little about them but she couldn't run it didn't have the hoop or anything,the one that I would want was 6500,so guess that will just be a dream.Ha. but she had some more there that were on sale for 1900 mcan't remeber the excat amount was closer to 2000 I think. Sounded a little better,but still high.Next I will go back and price the Janome the next one up from mine see which is cheaper. The viking ones were called diesgne 1 then the next up was designe 2,then on up to 3.

only my opinion butb machines are so expensive I would check more than one brand as they all seem to offer something different then you could think on what you really wanted and buy the one to suit your need I really like the Babylock the most user friendly machine I have ever sat at but only my opinion hope this helps

Okay, I have been playing around for a couple of hours and so far so good. The worse part was threading the bobbin. The instruction manual came on a CD rom and my computer won't read my CD drive for some reason, it thinks the drive is gone. So I had to figure it out on my own. I can free motion now! It's not perfect but at least I can do it. I tried and tried on my old machine and only got bird nests. Tonight was just play around and experiment with stitches. Tomorrow I will sew for real as I have borders to put on a lap quilt that I'm making for Christmas.

I was looking through a keepsake quilting supply catalog today,they had a little plastic washer that you can put inside the bobbin case,it says that stops the bird nest effect. I don't know if it works or not. But just thought I might try that.

I got one a few weeks ago and just started using her. She purrs but it takes some getting used to with the automatically lifting presser foot, you don't lift it at the back and my hand automatically goes there.

I was wondering about the 1/4 inch problem too. does it mean we have to go back to using a strip of masking/painters tape along the 1/4 inch line or is there some secret we don't know yet? My quilt shop charged about $1300 and gives unlimited free lessons. I have yet to go so that's when I'll ask about the 1/4 inch.

Live and learn. I took my Sapphire in for servicing and found out it has a setting for 1/4 in, now I use that then adjust to 2.5 and get a perfect scant 1/4 in.
The store did not tell me this but the repairs shop knows the machine and all it does.
I dont even use my 1/4 in foot anymore it works fine with a A foot.

Hi Rose Marie,
Live and learn is right, thanks for the heads up on the repair folks. They repair the Husky machines at this shop so I'll check with them. Are you happy with the machine? Seems like there are so many buttons that right now I'm a little bit awed by the complexity of it. One step at a time, right?
Happy quilting.

I like mine, but still figuring out some of the stuff. I found out that 2 free owner's lessons come with the purchase of the machine, but apparently the quilt shop I bought mine from doesn't offer them so didn't tell me. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gotten a Bernina.

Charleen,
I love my machine, the only thing I really would have liked to have is a stitch regulator, and a thread cutter.
My repair shop is a H. Viking so they know the machines inside out.
I took lessons when I bought the machine at Joanns but you forget most of it if you dont use it often.
There is another forum entry about the 830 and someone gave a website with videos of what to do with it and I downloaded them. It wasnt but last week sometime that it was posted.

I got the 870 for Xmas and it does have the thread cutter. It was an option I've always wanted....that said.... consider this... when you get to your " ending" spot..... you still have to "fix" or stitch in one place..... then when you hit the thread cutter button it pulls the thread through to the back & cuts it one inch long. IF you haven't fixed the thread it is now too short to knot & thread a needle & weave into the batting.... IF you have fixed your stitching.....you cut your thread & it leaves this little tied off piece on the backing. It's not too noticeable if your threads are matching..(or if you've used a busy fabric on the backing) .but if you have a light thread on top & dark thread on bottom or vice versa....it doesn't look so great.......SO ....... maybe, just maybe .... the old fashioned way of pulling your thread to the top....tying off......etc. is really neater and perhaps the better way??? I don't know....but it's all a learning curve. Now that I have this machine I'm trying to use it alot & figure things out....but I feel alot of it's options are more beneficial to the people who had enough money to purchase the machines with the same body but with the machine embroidery attachment....JMHO

The more Ih ear the more grateful I am for where I bought my Sapphire, hopefully you will get some more info and lessons.

http://www.husqvarnaviking.com/us/8681.htm

I am having a lot of trouble FM sewing on my 870 due to shreading thread...tried everything...do you still have difficulty? What have you done?

I have shreading thread whenever i try to FM on my sapphire 870...help!

I have shreading thread whenever i try to FM on my sapphire 870...help!

what size needle are you using?
I use either a machine embroidery needle or a jeans needle. also, lighten up on your upper tension <wave>

thanx
i will try jeans needle and looser tension
be right back

nope
still shredding and breaking even with jeans needle and less tension
help!