Now that's funny!

Going back to my original post because that WAS my post.

If I'm comparing my Bernina 380 and Brother Innovis 2000, in my opinion the Brother machine is more user friendly. I traded a smaller Brother for the 2000 and it also was very user friendly. I also own a Brother embroidery only machine. That being said, I do love my Bernina. It works hard.

I find that some of us are brand loyal and have owned two Berninas- traded the first one for the 380. It's a great machine but the Brother was easier to use out of the box and has more features for the money. It's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Please, Bernina owners!!!!!!!!. It's just my opinion.

I would suggest a Bernina. They are great machines. Used machines are available, check area dealers.
A beginner needs a good quality machine to start on. A cheap machine will give poor quality and
can discourage a beginner.

I love my Bernina. Previously, I had a basic Janome that gave me nothing but trouble.

Are you suggesting that anything less than a Bernina is a "cheap machine"???? Oh boy....them's fightin' words!!! LOL

Choose a Bernina if you have a lot of $$$ to spend, or you will be satisfied with good stitching with few convenience features.....IMHO.

I love my Bernina 440. It is now going to be obsoete cause it is being replaced by the 550. You might be able to find a trade in for a good price. The only thing with Bernina is that their "feet" are expensive.

I sew on a Bernina 440 QE, but didn't get that until a few years ago (when Bernina ran a heck of a special). I had an older Bernina that was wayyyy reliable, and my back up maching is a 1977 Kenmore that I bought new. I swear I could sew through tin cans with that machine..LOL It's a work horse that I'll never part with.

My suggestions are look for a nice brand name machine from a dealer that was traded in for an upgrade. There's nothing wrong with a good used machine and as a rule dealers will help someone learn the machine and back it for 30 -60 days depending on their contract. That's what I got for my dd.

Awhile back a friend of mine was looking for a class machine. I told her I had seen refurbished Janome's on OVERSTOCK for $99.00 and she bought one. She absolutely loves the machine and is using the daylights out of it.

Lots of options.. as you can see. I'm 1000% happy with my Bernina, but I mainly went with a Bernina because my friend is the local dealer. I know others who swear by their Vikings, Pfaffs, Janomes..other brands...and even old TREADLE SINGERS.

IMO - dealing with a brand specific dealer on a sewing machine is a better bet then a big box store. A dealer will back their brand/product.

Good Luck.

I have a Bernina 1230 (Old machine) .... It was my mothers... she was the ultimate quilter and sewer. I took up quilting after she passed away in the early 90's for about a year. Then my DH wanted to move the room around and it just got to crowded to sew in that room. In the last year, I've taken it up again. With a vengeance (I even bought myself a longarm) .. That Bernina has been a workhorse. My mother would never have bought a inferior machine.... She worked in a sewing factory for years and knew the machines inside and out. I also have a featherweight... which, I'm ashamed to say, have never sewed on... that too was my mothers.

In the past, I have had two Singers, a Kenmore, two Vikings, a Janome, and three Berninas. I'll take a Bernina any day, with the Viking being my second choice. (Three Berninsa as I keep moving up, all of which have been used machines.)

I have 3 Singer's 2 Janome's and My Bernina 440QE. They are all great machines and I use all of them. I use the singers mostly to loan out to new sewers or quilters. My Janome does every thing but I still love my Bernina. Depends on my mood. If I have a lot of embroidery to get done I will do my straight sewing with my Janome and have my Bernina embroidery going at the same time. My Janome does embroidery too but I truly love my Bernina for embroidery. Come to think of it I love my Bernina for every thing. But I would never loan it out. Go Bernina if you can, you won't be disappointed.
Good Luck

I still have my first brand new Bernina purchase in 1982 - 930 Record. I also have a friend's Artista 180. I purchased a 440QE and traded for an 830 Limited Edition because of fantastic sale. Haven't had a lesson on it yet but love it. I do NOT consider myself a quilter yet but sure have had fun making friends and family and a few local fundraiser's happy ... oh yea and a school or 2. I am working on one for myself .... the first one for me since the one my Mamo had me make when I was 16 which I still have 43 years later - sewn on a Kenmore machine using handmade newspaper pattern and scraps of memories from dresses that Mamo made for herself or others in the family. I was the ONLY priviledged granddaughter to have this memory.....guess my MAMO knew my hobby before I did. Anyway, back to Bernina....the only large sewing machine company still family owned??!!....1. As others have stated....service should be considered although I had my 930 serviced this past year for under $30....cleaned, oiled, no problems....lucky as it had not been serviced for 10+ years.... 2. If your daughter is just beginning she won't miss all the extra's we have become accustomed to on the newer machines and a good used inexpensive Bernina or other major brand could be a lifelong companion as mine is... 3. I know my Bernina dealer has many used quality machines (your local dealer might as well) ...my friends Artista has quite a bit more to offer than the 930 and I have seen many on ebay and Craig's list and although I haven't searched this site...probably here as well. I also have a Babylock Evolve Serger and 10 Thread Emb Only as well as a used Janome emb/sewing machine for taking to class at the local dealer....love them all but stick with the Bernina on quality and especially SERVICE in my area and I did NOT purchase my first Bernina from this area. Did I mention earlier Service is important....Good luck on your venture.

My first machine was a Viking, which I liked...my next machine was a Bernina which I LOVE! Don't know our budget, but if you can afford a Bernina for her, I would get her one....even if it is a used one.

I had two Vikings and both still run very well. Last year I bought the Big Momma of all sewing machines...the Bernina 830. It comes with an embroidery machine that you attach. Wonderful. Mine even came with a long arm table. I love it. But it's finiky about the thread I use. That's the only downfall. It doesn't like varagated thread at all. My dealer told me not to use it since I was having problems with that thread. That bums me out. I paid soooooo much for this machine that I should be able to use any thread at all. Anyway, my 1982 $300 Viking found a home with my daughter and she loves it. My newer Viking is in my closet for emergencies and for retreats. I would never buy a sewing machine from Walmart. I agree with all the gals that Bernina is the best, but I think it's the priciest also. Viking Huscavarna is a very good brand.

I have a Bernina 153 and a 440 and love them both. They're both great machines.

Brother makes some good machines, but stay away from those cheap machines you find at Cosco, Walmart, Target and the like. They are mainly plastic, made in a third world nation, and will end up costing you more in repairs than you paid for it. And it still won't do what you want it to. But as I said, the better Brothers are nice machines. Having said that, I would look for a Janome or Bernina or Viking. Great workhorses. Singer can be a good machine in the right model. Being where you are, you may be better off looking around for a dealer who can service your needs without undue driving, and go from there. There are deals to be had. If you can wait for the after Christmas sales, you can probably get an even better deal. That's what I'm doing, even though it leaves me without a machine until then. I was about to buy a Janome when they jacked up the price in the pre-Christmas mark-ups. Just something to think about. Whatever you do, make sure you spend a couple of hours actually sewing on the model you intend to buy to make sure it's what you want.

My best experience has always been Bernina. In many shops there is an opportunity to buy a slightly used but with complete warranty machine that someone turned in within a year on a more expensive machine. I bought one about twenty years ago and it has many features available today already and was much less $. I use it every day and LOVE IT. It is a
1090 and a wonderful work horse. I have made more than forty quilts on it but send the larger ones to LAQ for quilting.

I would suggest the top of the line Kenmore. You can't beat the price for the value you are getting. I have used the Bernina 830 ($10,000) and every other brand there is from Janome to Baby Loc. The top of the line Kenmore is the perfect beginner machine and will satisfy the advanced sewer too. I am blessed to be able to buy any sewing machine I want and as many as I want and my next new machine will be the top of the line Kenmore. The local Bernina dealer stays mad at me for not buying one of her expensive machines. She thinks because I can I should. I won't. LOL

Nothing sews like a Bernina just ask any owner and they will be happy to tell you how much they love their machine.
They are expensive you get what you pay for. Don't rule out a used one that has had good care and up keep.Ask your dealer if they have any trade ins . I have a good friend that is going to sell her 200 with upgrade to 730 so sometimes you may run across one. I have upgraded 3 times and I would not consider another brand. There may be special prices around the Holiday.
don't give up.

I have used Singer, Brother, and Bernina. I love my Bernina. I rec'd it as a gift more than twenty years ago and it has done everything I have required of it without breaking down.

Just remember that there will be NO training or service on Kenmore machines. I have one and I like it, but the store will have to send it away if it needs service.....weeks of waiting.

I have a Bernina 1530 and bought it mainly for sewing clothes. I am now using it to make quilts and love it. It even slipped off the table onto a concrete floor during a quilting class and kept right on sewing. I also have a Wal-Mart Brothers SQ 9000 that I bought to take to classes from now on and it works well. Less than $200, So for a basic learning machine I would go enexpensive with a good straight stitch until she knows what she wants in a machine.

I'm very interested in this topic. I've been on the Internet for too long trying to compare; but it is very difficult to find prices. I really don't want to get it until Spring but I see so many sales now. I've been taking quilting lessons. They sell Bernina, Elna, and Pfaff. The owner swears by Bernina but will not take anything away from the others. I know that Janome now makes Elna; and one model of Elna is the same as one of the Janomes. I really, really want the stitch regulator; but Berninas are so expensive compared to Janomes. However, the Janomes have everything but the stitch regular at a much cheaper price. Decisions, decisions! It's driving me crazy and I'm behind on lots of things at home. As I said, I'm very interested in responses to your question.

I am fortunate to own a Singer XL6000 for embroidery, a Juki TL98Q, which is not fancy, just sews straight stitches but it is a work horse & 1/2 (handles 10 layers of denim). I bought it for quilting because the throat area is bigger than a normal machine. I also own a Bernina Series 8 - 820 machine, which my husband bought me for my birthday. It is my "dream machine". The throat area is even bigger than the Juki & it does a gazillion things that my Juki does not do. It has a stitch regulator & lots of extra features but the price is probably out of reach for a lot of people. I live in Canada & it retails for just over $8,000.00 here. I LOVE it but it made me very anxious (at first) because the bobbin works very differently from other machines & if you try & cheat with it, you will pay the price. It holds 1 1/2 times more thread than other machines but you must be careful with it. It is a wonderful machine though. For the money the Juki is a top notch machine but no frills, at least not the 98Q model that I own but what it does do, it does very well. Depending on what you want your machine to do, there are some very good machines out there & you won't have to pay an arm & a leg for them. You just have to have some idea as to what you want your machine to do. My friend just bought a Janome & she is very happy with it also. I hope this helps you a little. Good luck in your search.

If you're looking at new machines keep in mind they are almost all being made in China and made to be disposable- the issue is how much you want to sock into one. Talk to your local repair people and find out the cost of repairs. If she is not a sewer you need to decide are you making the investment for her or you. she can always upgrade when or if she finds she really loves it. Older machines- pre 1960 are sturdy and can handle many tasks the new ones can not.

Well, here's some good news!!! i just got the weekly newsletter from my local quilt store (and Bernina dealer) and it seems that Bernina has a sale on an entry level machine!!!! Get this....the 215 is on sale for just a few days for $699....AND it has a needle threader, needle up/down and full or half speed setting. it looks like it's a smaller machine, but it's a Bernina nevertheless! I think I'll get over there this week to check it out! Christmas is coming!!!!

I've had them all, Janome, Singer, Viking and Bernina. Each had things I liked but I feel Bernina gives me the best stitch. I am one of those people who is into bells and whistles so Berninas can be absurdly expensive ( worth every penny if you are an experienced sewer and into the learning curve needed to get the best from the machine)
Buy the best you can afford. Go above the bare bones machine because you will outgrow it. Good luck.

i have two janome and i love them both.

You and she will love a Bernina!

I'm very interested in this thread!! My 30 year old Singer Touch-Tronic 2001 is struggling so I'm starting to look at machines. Everyone says the Berninas are better for FMQ. But I don't really want to spend a fortune! After all this is a hobby. I also have a Janome (one that Hancock Fabrics sold for a short time- featured as a lightweight machine to take to classes) its ok for straight stitching.
I'm looking forward to hearing what you purchase!!

I have had my Bernina 440 for 2 years now & love it so much we just bought me another Bernina. This one is a 330 to use for sewing while the 440 is set up for embroidery. It was on sale plus it was a demo from the Atlanta Quilt show so the price was a little better. I enjoy sewing and do it often so the Berninas are worth it to me. If I was learning & not sure if I would really need this much machine I would look into another Sears Kenmore. I had 2 of those & they lasted a good long time. I got my first Kenmore when I was 16 & used it until I was 40. Then I got another Kenmore & my daughter is still using that one so I had a good 20+ years of use from each of them. The down side was there were no lessons or back up support when I needed it. I still call the Bernina dealer 2 years later when I have a question or want them to demo a foot or something. They are super helpful & friendly. Good luck, whatever you decide.

I began quilting in 2000, having been sewing forever. Several of my friends have been very happy with their Berninas. I bought one of the more expensive models in 2001, because I could not afford the Viking I really wanted. It gave me huge amounts of trouble, ending with a frozen motor after 3 years. It was out of warrantee, of course. I bought a much cheaper Janome Which gave me excellent service. I have now passed that one on to a beginning quilter and have a model 6600, which I love. You have to make your decisions based on the reality of your finances, but I can tell you that the Janone dealer showed my DH the comparison between Bernina and Janome construction and he was very impressed, as I was by the stitching. I like the fact that the Janome has a mid-length arm which makes the actual quilting much easier.

In my opinion, I feel you get more for your money with a Brother or Babylock, especially if you are looking at the less expensive entry level machines. The lower cost Bernina's, the Bernette line are not something I would want.
You might want to consider a used machine, with so many new top of the line models out in the past couple of years you might get much mor efor your money with a traded in machine.
If there there were only a Bernina dealer from which to choose a machine I would rather spend $400 on a used Bernina than $400 on a new Bernette.

I have owned and used several Janome, Brother, BabyLock, Singer, Husquevarna Viking machines and they all have their good points. I have a Janome 6600 that I love because of the Accufeed feature. I have a Husquevarna Viking Saphire 870 Quilt that I love for fmq. I purchased a stitch regulator for the machine last year and I love it. I attended an Evy Hawkins Event sponsored by my BabyLock dealer a little over a week ago. I had planned to take my BabyLock Ellegante sewing/embroidery machine to use for the hands-on projects, but my dealer told me I didn't need to bring my machine because he had one already set up for me. (You can see this coming, can't you? LOL) I used a new BL Ellisimo and fell in love with it. Traded my Ellegante in on my new "Ellie". It is an embroidery/sewing/quilting machine. FMQ is so easy. Just push a button and it changes all the settings and drops the feed dogs and you are ready to fmq. It does a beautiful job. Can you tell I'm in love? LOL

Having said all that, you need to find a reputable dealer that will be there for you when you need them. I have had the same dealer since 1969 and wouldn't think of changing. Dealer support is very important.

Some sellers on eBay offer free shipping. I bought a Brother XR4040 for $69. It was refurbished, works great, and came with the 25 yr. warranty. It is a computerized machine but has some quirks I had to get used to, since I learned to sew (last year) on the Janome I also bought on ebay. I bought the Brother to take to classes because it only weighs 11 lbs.

I love my Berninas and would suggest that you find keep an eye out at the closest dealer for a really good trade-in, if you decide that you would like one and don't want to pay the price of a new model.

I have ONLY owned two Berninas and I STILL am quilting on BOTH of them. I first bought a 1020 which was a basic machine and then bought later the top of the line (at that time) a computerized 1530. They are both over 15 years old and have ONLY had a slight problem with the 1530 with a piece of plastic that held the bobbin in place. You know what features a quilter would want. Be sure to try to shop this Friday because that is the time that the BEST prices can be had. GOOD LUCK !!!

I have used Bernina, Kenmore, Pfaff, Nicchi, Janome and Brothers machines. I loved my Bernina but it was very heavy and the parts and service is very expensive. The Janome was good as well , but the dealer here was not at all helpful or friendly. I found the Brothers dealer and loved the machine and the service and courtesy I get there is well worth it. And the Brother machines, even the smaller less expensive machines that are sold by a dealer are excellent.

Janome is still making the Kenmores, yes. Last year I got a brand new one in the box with a bunch of attachments for about half the usual price at the Sears outlet here and it sews just fine. I would like a Bernina or an older Viking someday though. Every time I go to the local sewing store that's INSIDE our Joann's, I look at their used machines.. they come with a basic warranty and the store does layaway, which would be a huge help for me to get a better machine than I could otherwise afford. All they sell is Viking/Huskvarna, not Bernina though. There's this old Viking +1 they have that I keep eyeing.. it was their top of the line machine back when. I've demo'd it in the store and it still sews like it's brand new. Someday..

I would pick Bernina. I have used Singer, White, Brother, and Bernina. The Bernina just makes a beautiful strong stitch with any thread. It is easy to use and the main feature is reliability. I never have to have anything done to it except the regular service. My Bernina is the 180E.

I just bought a Bernina 440 QE in September. Things to consider - I NEEDED a dealer close by. I have vision damage and some things I simply can't do because I can't see. I would have been happy with Huskvarna or maybe even Pfaff, but no local dealers. I was choosing between a Janome (roughly $1,400) and a Bernina. The Bernina won out because of a special in financing as well as closeout pricing. What do you need to do? I think the embroidery features are cool, but it wasn't a feature I NEEDED. In addition, it simply isn't practical for me to have my computer attached to my sewing machine (newer ones will use a flashdrive, which solves that problem).

I totally love the Bernina Stitch Regulator (BSR) for quilting, but again, if not for the special pricing and financing, I would have probably been just as happy with the Janome. Just having that extra 2-3 inches between needle and motor housing made quilting so much more pleasant. Also, the Mastercraft 5200 has a wider zig zag (7 mm) than my Bernina (5 mm) - something that is important for some quilting techniques. The Berninas with embroidery do have wider zig zag (9 mm).

Finally, talk to folks who fix machines. They can tell you the duds as well as cost estimates to fix things. I thought those computer boards would be uber expensive to replace, but apparently anywhere from $100-300 depending on your machine. If you have a mechanical machine, you can actually do most repairs and maintenance yourself.

A very simple Bernina is the Bernette and I actually thought of getting one of those for a class machine since it is so much lighter than my Bernina.

Wow... no one has mentioned a "Silver" brand machine. I almost bought a special quilting one yesterday for a little over £600 (British pound sterling) and am still considering it. Are they only sold here in the UK? Are they horrible? Are they sold under another name maybe?