to choose between pfaff and huskvarna, determine - first and foremost - whether there is a brand certified service and repair shop near you. they are both good brands with good reputations. as long as nothing goes wrong either one should last you for many years.

however, parts for both brands are hard to come by for third party repair providers. i know of at least one person who cannot get her pfaff fixed - even by a pfaff dealer - because of parts scarcity. in her case, she's been trying for many years to get it fixed.

i do note that you didn't mention janome as one you are considering. but if there is a conveniently located dealer/service/repair shop near you give it some thought.

the acufeed feature is not at all intended for free-motion. it has nothing to do with free-motion. it's for sewing and is a superior alternative to a standard walking foot.

i just about never use anything but the acufeed for sewing. i will never buy another machine that doesn't include acufeed. i have much better control over the fabrics as they go under the feet than i can ever achieve with regular feet. for quilting in straight or curved lines it performs like a champ, too. it also makes binding a breeze.

I'm a Husqvarna girl myself. I've had their Platinum model for about 15 years now. It has never given me a day's worth of trouble and will sew just about anything I throw at it. I not only piece and quilt on it but also do home dec sewing and some crafty stuff. The only thing it really balked at was 5 layers of heavy canvas to re-attach the binding on the boat cover. Otherwise, smooth sailing (no pun intended). Good luck with your decision and welcome to the board.

I also have the HV Topaz 20 and I love it. I sew and quilt a lot, and it has never had any problems. I quilt up to queen size quilts using my machine. I do get it serviced annually to keep it in good shape. Love it!

Thanks! I appreciate the enlightenment.

Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff are both owned by the same firm (so is Singer). I've compared functionality in like priced machines and if I had to guess, they have the same internals and different pretty packages based on the history of the brand - Pfaff a bit more boxy / angular while Viking a bit more rounded. The embroidery hoops are interchangeable, feet are interchangeable. I only wish the bobbins were interchangeable because the Pfaff are pretty blue and Viking are green or a preponderance of pink.

Recently, I had the Opal 690. It was great, but at the end of the day it was small for quilting anything beyond a toddler size quilt. I went to a Topaz and it was awful, I probably got a dud but it was the first disappointment I had buying a Viking. Then I went to the Brilliance and love it. I've seen the Jade in person and the throat is very small.

I wouldn't buy either brand since they (and Singer) were bought by SVP USA. They are all now made in China, and there are too many reports about either lack of service, or long wait times while they source parts. Many long time Pfaff and H/V dealers have quit selling them because of lack of parts, etc. They might work great initially, but being electronic, and suffering in quality, when they do need repairs, you might as well get a new one.

Jade 20
 

I just purchased the Jade 20 and it's my first new machine ever. I think I have 5 other hand-me-down machines floating around...ok, 7...but who's counting? I will say I tend to use an old Janome most often of the old machines and I really dislike using the Singers. My second favorites are a newer Janome tied with an old White.

The Jade 20 is smooth, quiet, easy to use but does take some getting used to, as any new to you machine does. I think I'll be sticking with Husqvarna long term and love that video instruction is available on YouTube for free. Bernina was also on my list but it's just too expensive at this point for my needs.

I may purchase a few more feet, and have ordered bobbins, needle packs and the extension table from a quilt shop not terribly far away. There are some bells and whistles I'm not accustomed to but look forward to learning. I have Ott lights above both my machines (I also teach occasionally) and for now am keeping the zipper foot on the Janome, swapped out with a standard for mask making and everything else is on the Viking.

We had several repair shops nearby and all have closed in recent months. I have to drive regardless, so unlike commenters above, I would not choose a machine based on service nearby, but that's just me. I used to drive two machines at a time to a great guy 2.5 hours away. Will drive for excellent service, I guess.

I hope this helps and wish you good luck in your new purchase.

Just be careful I knew someone with a pfaff that was 2 years old that they could not get parts for anymore. I have heard similar stories with viking. I think they are part of the same company with singer now

I have a HV Epic, a Pfaff Performance 5.0, a Pfaff Creative 2170, and a Pfaff Creative Sensation Pro II.

Prior to the HV Epic, I had the HV Designer Diamond Royale which I traded in. The bobbins for the HV Diamond series, and the Pfaff Performance 5.0 are indeed interchangeable. When I traded in my HV Diamond for the Epic my dealer told me you can continue using the bobbins I had for the HV Diamond on my Pfaff. I do it all the time. Also, the IDT on the Pfaff is great for piecing, as far as "Made in China", a long time repairman told me Bernina was made in China before Pfaff and HV. In fact they all are. Each machine is still designed and engineered in it's original country, and the final assembly is in China.