I love Brother machines. I have 2 and they are so easy to operate. I have had them for years and never had a problem.

One of my machines is a brother from Walmart. It has never given me any grief, I have used it for 10 years in our RV. (Five years of actual use!!) I would not hesitate to buy from Costco. They have great customer service!

Not everyone lives in a city big enough to even have a "dealer".

Why must we think that to buy a sewing machine, you must go to a dealer..that by no means guarantees perfection. Nor does it mean satisfaction, if there is a problem---speaking from personal experience here. I have done both....and the big box, less expensive s/m has not given me a bit of trouble, sorry I returned the "fancier" one, whereas the $$$ one ......well, will not go into that. And, all machines will eventually "break".......

yes, you decide what you want by pocketbook, whar you want it to do, and where you live.....
Don't you sometimes wonder how in the past, and even now, vintage machines just keep going..with a little owner maintenance....sometimes simpler is better.....

I loved my Costco Brother so much several of my friends bought one, too. When I decided to get a bigger machine, I sold my brother to a friend and she is still using it. I mainly upgraded (at a dealer that went out of business before my machine was out of warranty) because I needed more harp space. But I was able to free motion a twin size on my Brother.

I bought my Brother from Costco about 10 years ago. I haven't had any problems and it's still running fine. It was several hundred $ less than a dealer. Mine is not a basic model but more mid-range. If all she wants is a pretty basic machine, she shouldn't need lessons. The user manual is pretty helpful. I've never had a question I could find an answer to in the guide.

When I first started sewing, I did not have much money so I bought a "Singer student" machine advertised in the newspaper.....Junk (*in the trash can)......then I bought a machine from a home shopping show....Junk (*traded into a dealer after it broke down during a class I was taking).....After that I decided I would have to "pay for a quality machine". Since that time I have always bought from a dealer where I know I am getting a quality machine and have dealer support. I have several machines now (11 if I can count my two "kids Singer machines", two treadles and a hand crank.....and NO JUNK. Happy now!!!! :-)

What dealer will refund your money if the machine isn't what you thought and you didn't like it? NONE
What dealer will refund your money if the machine doesn't work right the second week you bought it? NONE
I buy all my machines online from retailer/discount companies. I can return it no questions asked and buy another one if I'm not happy with the first one. I am very picky whose pocket I put my money into. A sewing machine dealer that doesn't give refunds is not getting mine. Even my new car had a 7 day return, no questions asked.

I bought a Brother XR3140 from Costco about a year ago. After reading the reviews on the model, I decided to purchase the machine. So far, I am very pleased. Read the reviews on the model first and then...happy sewing!

I have a Brother I bought six years ago this June and have never had a problem with it. I do everything on it quilting and clothing and it has never let me down. I bought mine from Walmart and if anything goes wrong with it I will go there and replace it with a newer model of the same machine. I feel I have already got my money's worth a long time ago but it shows no sign of slowing down.