Me too???? Mine is 20 years old and would never get rid of her, but I'd kill for the new 830. I priced it at the Paducah Quilt Show and now I'm waiting for my ship to come in so I can get it. Waiting...and waiting...

Well, of course you can come live with me. Do you press blocks? Do you unsew? Yes I love my Berninas. It is so nice to not have to worry about tension and the bobbin for the 830 is so big that you don't have to change it as often.

I really wanted the 830 when it came out because of the huge space to FMQ with. And my #1 pet peeve about quilting is the bobbin always seems to run out when you are almost done with a motif or a quilting line. Grrr. I lust after the huge bobbin! But wouldn't ya know it? That darn thing came out a year after I got my 640. It was the floor model and my dealer threw in the embroidery module (that I have only looked at
:oops: ), the stitch regulator, an extra three years on the service contract, and a walking foot. DH paid $5,000 which was almost $2,000 less than list. So, even with the deal he got, there was no way he was goning to go another $3,000 for the 830! Heck, it took me four years to get him to finally break! But I do so love my machine and the bobbin holds much more than my old Pfaff did. I will stop complaining now! LOL

If you are close to one, go to a large quilt show where there are many swing machine vendors. Sometimes they will sell their demo machines for a decent discount at the end of the show,or they can work out a show deal with your nearest local machine dealer. Try before you buy!

I would love a new machine, but when you come right down to it, I really like my old Bernina 830. I bought it in the 1970's, used it primarily for general sewing, and then when I discovered quilting, it has been used mostly for that! This machine is so dependable--it is truly a work horse, and I would never give it up. Even if I could afford a new machine, I would keep it as a back-up! It handles smooth, and doesn't feel like it will fall apart like some of the others with all plastic (or most) plastic parts. I used my friend's newer Viking and it felt much less "solid". Of course, you get what you pay for, and I don't know what model it was, to tell you the truth. All I can say is, try them all out, determine the best, and pick the one that fits most of your needs, that fits your budget. If you can afford the best, get it, but if not, get the most you can for your money, after you do your research! (And, of course, a dealer for a particular make will always try to sell you on his/her brand!) Best of luck in your search and have fun! WLee

I have the Bernina 830 as well and I agree, it's a workhorse and very dependable!!

Well talking about bobbins, my QE4.0 also has a big bobbin, the only think I don't like about the bobbin, it doesn't fit into my old Pfaffs, but then there is a trade off here, I get to sew a lot longer than I use to with it ;-D

I have over abundant of sewing machines and I quilt on all of them. My newest machine is a pfaff 1200 (which is now 10 years old). I have two featherweights which I take with me when I travel. I have a pfaff 301 that is 50+ years old and a pfaff 103 treadle which is even older. The truth be known find the one you like and stick with it. Your old machine can probably be fixed if you find an independent repair shop NOT A FABRIC STORE at a decent price for a backup machine. Good hunting!!

Thanks for all the input on test driving to find a sewing'
machine. Sounds like good advice...Thanks to everyone.

Happy sewing to one and all.

Bye for now...

99-quilters.