I too vote for test driving whatever machines you are considering. You don't buy a car without test driving, you are investing in a major tool for your creative use and should try it out and ask all kinds of questions. Take along samples of the fabrics you will be working with. Ask questions. Contemplate and go home and think several times about what you want and what the machine you tried actually did. I go by the 3 day at least think about phase --- don't buy a sewing machine of any sort on impulse!

I also believe very strongly in after purchase support.....you are going to need it sooner or latter. Either for purchasing additional feet or to show you 'again' how to wind a bobbin or for your annual service and cleaning. The store that is there for you afterwards is almost more important than the machine. Now I am not saying you have to buy it from them to begin with, a good used Bernina purchased from a neighbor is wonderful, but that good wonderful Bernina dealer/repairman is also important in your decision.

I agree, good dealer support is important. There are a lot of good sewing machines out there, but sooner or later you will need a repair and it's good to have someone nearby. Also, free lessons come with the better machines. They will help you get the best out of your sewing machine. I have a Bernina that I love to sew on. I also love my Brother 1500. And last, but not least, my little Singer Featherweight still sews perfectly. It is 64 years old like me! My local dealer services all of those models which is very handy sometimes. Good luck on your purchase and have fun looking.

I agree with those who say that good dealer support is important. All my life, I had wanted a Bernina; but it took me 50 years of sewing to get one. During those years, I lived no where near a Bernina dealer. I've had several different brands, Elna, Kenmore, etc. I always loved my current machine. I love my Featherweight which is my back up machine. Best wishes on finding the perfect machine for you!

I love singer but I am sure it is not the best. It has all that I need and does not give me any trouble. Stitches are even, it takes any thread I throw at it, and it has never, ever failed me. I own four singers with one being a treadle, one serger, one classroom model 5050 (my favorite), and european version of 5050 that my husband is in a process of modifying to work on 110. I learned to sew on 1892 singer, and I remained loyal, but I will not claim they are the best. Singer is the best for me, for you it may be Bernina, or Brother, or no-name machine you picked up at a yard sale.

A handy item for the machine to have would be a single stitch plate. It saves a lot of trouble when you are piecing pointy, little bits of material. The single stitch plate stops the machine from chewing up the end bits. Most machine brands have high end and low end machines. I would be looking at how much support and free lessons and the expense of repairs and parts.

I am a big Juki fan - but when all is said and done, almost any machine with a 1/4" foot can be used to piece.

I do not mean to be a prune but I saw a number of comments about dealer support and have an addition. Another part of dealer support is honesty. We will not go into names and places and war stories but honest dealing between dealer and customer, both directions I imagine, is crucial. And that honest dealing is before and after the sale. Please talk to other sewers in your area and see what they have to say about the dealer(s) they have done business with.

Good luck. I hope you are delighted with your new machine and the place you will be getting it and that pleasure continues far into the future.

Pat

I had a cheapy Brother from Costo and thought it was great, until I brought it in for cleaning and they let me borrow a low end Janome. Wow! what a difference. I loved how the feed dogs fed the fabric so much more evenly, and they seemed to be farther forward, so I didn't feel like I had to jam the fabric under the presser foot to get the machine to catch the fabric.
A week later, when my Brother was ready to pick up, I ended up trading it in for a 1yr old used Janome 6600. I LOVE this machine. Once I even got so excited that I kissed it! My husband got a real laugh out of that. Oh, and it's so much quieter than my old sewing machine. If I'm finishing something up while DH is watching TV, he doesn't need to turn up the TV to hear over the sewing machine.

I think it's kind of like pretty babies, everyone will say it's the one they have!