I have the Janome 6600 and LOVE it. That being said, have you checked out the Juki? They are good machines and real workhorses. The price of them is quite reasonable as well.

I went out yesterday intent on buying the Brother PQ1500s after reading recommendations on it here. I ended up falling in love with the Janome Memory Craft 6600 P. It was more machine with more capabilities than I needed, but one thing I hadn't taken into consideration is that the Brother machine does not have the drop in bobbin. I also liked the additional capabilities of the 6600 with memory that you can combine stitches, program in the automatic lock stitches and thread cutting; the markings on the throat plate that help you to correctly place the fabric when piecing to make sure that corners of pieces will be able to be pressed flat, Accufeed system and the holder for cone thread. It did cost me about twice what I was thinking of spending and got it for a little over $1700 which included three optional feet, 1/4 inch Seam Foot And Straight Stitch Plate For AcuFeed (MC6600P), FMQ foot and the Ditch Quilting Foot. They are also offering the one year no interest payment option which I did. When I make the first monthly payment I will send the amount of what I had saved for a machine, about $700, and will then be able to pay off the rest before the end of the year's time. I'm excited. Good luck on the decision and your new purchase. There are really so many machines out there to choose from and so many differing opinions as to what's the best. It's a very hard decision. I hope my new machine turns out to be as wonderful as I think it will be!

Just adding to my first thoughts... If you think you want a straight-stitch only machine, then I would say your top 3 choices would be between the Juki TL2010Q, Janome 1600p, and the Brother PQ1500S. I am sure they are all comparable to each other as far as being great high-speed-straight-stitch machines. They all have similar features.

I was able to purchase mine from a dealer about 1 1/2 hours from me. So, I tried out the Janome 1600p and the Juki 2010q. They were both great, but I liked the Juki better...plus I like the look of it better also (metal as opposed to plastic..silly I know).

Good luck with your search. Let us know what yo finally get.

Put an Ad on Craig's list, under the "wanted" or "searching for" section, and spell out exactly what you want. Most people don't know that there are lots of great sewing machines out there, but they aren't being advertised because the people who own them aren't "Craig's list savvy". But there is a "wanted" section, and it works. Lot's of times, it's a family member, like a child, who will see the ad and prod the parent into answering it. I just picked up a beautiful 3-year-old Janome MC 9700 with just 3 hours of use on it, so essentially brand new, for $800, and that included the cabinet. Had it serviced, and all it needed was lubrication because the air is so dry here in the desert. It sews like a dream! So try it. You might be amazed at the quality of machine you can get for the cost of an ad.

Thanks for all ! I did some stitching today on my old Bernina, and I just love the machine! Even tho she doesn't stop sewing when I let up on the foot pedal, and the decorative stitches no longer work......and a few other "minor" problems. I am going to search for a used Bernina. I already have a ton of feet, including a walking foot...so I hope I can use them on a newer machine. I am used to sewing on this machine, and the Janome 6600 seemed so complicated when the staff member was showing me how to change feet, change bobbins for FMQ, etc. I have posted a wanted ad on CL for a few weeks.....no luck so far, but I will keep renewing the ad. Perhaps the dealer has some used machines that were traded in during the holidays...........will keep you posted! :-)

First timer on any kind of chat room situation, but a problem has arisen and here I am. I have a 7 year old Bernina Patchwork edition. Nine months ago, it crashed - the motherboard died - and it was in the shop for THREE MONTHS. I am working on a new quilt today, and lo and behold, the foot control doesn't stop when I take my foot off, I need to make a skimpy 1/4" seam, and the needle won't move, and finally, as if that wasn't/isn't enough, it is now only doing a zig zag stitch when it it set for straight sewing. It's back to the dealer again tomorrow morning, and I am angry. I bought a Kenmore machine in 1968 that I've had cleaned TWICE in 45 years, it runs like a trooper. What's up with these way expensive machines that don't work after 7 years? HELP! Has anybody else had an issue like this? Maybe it's just me???? And then, searching tonight before finding/registering on this site, I found a "fix it yourself" site which I'm inclined to peruse, but my husband, sitting next to me, says no, don't go there.
What to do?????

You can't go wrong with a Babylock.

Check out ebay too :)

Purchased my Viking Lily used and I love it. It's a very user friendly computerized machine and on the used market, the price is around $500. You should check them out.

Do some research on the Janome 6300.. I believe it is the same as the 6600 but with fewer bells and whistles..Less the a $1000 too. I went to my Janome dealer looking for a new machine and also couldn't afford the price on the 6600, the dealer here Never, mentioned or suggested the 6300 as a alternative. After much research I purchased the 6300 on Ebay and am very happy with it.