For the price of the Bernina every feature should work. Same with any high end machine. Why I won't buy a new out of the box high end machine is not one dealer will refund if the machine is lousy. They will fix it until it's fixed to death and you have paid for a repaired machine. I've seen it happen to many times for me to buy one. If I wanted one I'd buy a trade in that had already been fixed to death.

Sorry, I should have clarified that. Just hold the top thread.

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to respond, Your in-depth responses over a wide range of issues has served to confirm what I had suspected. There are so many good points to these machines, but there are a large number of issues that have been with these machines for years that Bernina is failing to address on a timely basis, if ever.

I wish Bernina would focus more on the actual sewing quality and reliability of their machines, and less on producing even more costly and unreliable “new” models, with even more bells and whistles.

It took me a while to learn - that for me - I do better with simpler and more reliable -

The fewer things to go wrong, the better.

I agree with that there were some quirks in some of the new machines. For me it was that 570 when it first came out. The Red Machine (215) which I bought a few years ago, was simple to use right out of the box with very little reading of the manual and it has never had a problem. The 590 I got to replace the 570 has actually also been problem free and I have done some piecing, free motion, BSR, ruler work, and embroidery on it. And I have felt the stitching is beautiful. Now, I did have to refer to the manual regarding some of the set up to do those things. And there was a bit of a learning curve as the machine really does tell you if you have not done some of the steps and that new larger bobbin does have a bit of a learning curve to place it properly back into the machine. However, I absolutely love the stitch quality and also how long that bobbin lasts. The 590 is not for someone who just wants to piece or just sews occasionally. The 475 is in the middle of these two. It was fairly easy to learn to use, I love the 5.5 mm feed dogs for piecing, and it is now in my sewing cabinet as I really do more piecing and quilting than anything else. All in all, I really am satisfied with these three Bernina machines, and I can honestly say, I am liking them better than my new Viking Topaz 40 which I am giving to my SIL as I really don't need 4 machines. I have stitch a bit on Janome's and to be honest, they have a different feel to them and I don't particularly care for them, but that is me.

Wow, my dream is crushed. I have been so sure my problems were due to not having a Bernina.

Umm...you can sew on pretty much anything. OK, I did have an old kenmore that was a nightmare...but...it really depends on what you want to do. If you like to piece mainly...there are a zillion machines to pick from...but picking one that only does a straight stitch is the absolute simplest way to go. Some folks really don't like to fiddle much with their machines....I would pick a very basic machine for that, no bells and whistles, no computer parts. I got to admit, sometimes I like to do more that simple straight stitch. I like doing machine applique, I like doing embroidery, I like fooling around with ruler work and free motion quilting. None of the machines that have been around for a while are "bad". It is just what you like to do. A lot of folks really don't want to take the time nor spend the extra money to learn what a computerized machine can do. It is true, the machines that do a lot have a lot more moving parts that have to move precisely. Things can get out of Wack. even being a hair off can cause chaos. Like any computer, there can be computer bugs and software problems that have to be worked out. I do not know of any computerized machine that does not have "updates" in the software to correct problems that arise once all of us there in the wild begin using them. It sometimes helps to wait a while after a new model comes out, so these problems are identified and corrected. One very experienced sewing machine tech I had state he loved working on the old singer's because basically they were very easy to tune up and fix as the specs for things making a stitch were very non-precise, you just had to be somewhere in the ballpark. Whereas in a computerized machine, those specs are very tight and precise as the needle is moving in sideways as well as up/down and just forward unless you have a old singer that also has a reverse. If a certain brand of machine works work for you go for it. I used to love Vikings, now I find I am loving my Bernina's although I did have one I did not like. Lemons do exists, but I am very glad I did not give up on the Brand because of that one experience. I do have to say however, I am no longer lusting for the top on the line, because I really don't even want that. Middle of the line is fine for me, bottom of the line would be fine if I was just doing things like repair of clothing and simple piecing.

I attended a quilting class and used that opportunity to test drive everyone's machines. For quilting, the Berninas did the best job at finishing the seam straight, without the piece tugging to the side as you ended the seam.

I have a fabulous independent machine tech, which gave me the confidence to buy a used Artista 170 off eBay.

And...I love that machine. It is my piecing workhorse. It has a fabulous stitch. So no, I do not own a Bernina so I can brag. They have for decades been reliable, well made machines. My sister sews on an ancient 830, a very dependable machine. I take mine for servicing every year or two, my tech makes it run like butter. I have added extra lighting for my aging eyes.

I rented a new 570 for a week to do a quilting class I travelled to, and I did like that machine although it was very small and did not feel as solidly made as my 170. It actually did very well at both straight stitching and free motion.

My tech did warn me to take a pass on the newer machines, a topic we addressed when it came to free motion as the Artista 170 has a small arm. I decided, after test driving all the machines in my free motion class, to go with a Juki 2010Q for free motion projects.

yep, for free motion all you need is a straight stitch machine with a big enough open arm I used to have a Viking Megaquilter that I think was actually a Janome. I can't remember. Anyway, I knew some folks just loved that machine for piecing and free motion. I used to have it on a frame that was a bit of a pain. I gave it to my brother as they wanted something which would work on canvas which it certainly could do.

Not true. My dealer refunded the full price of mine when I found the Brother machine I bought just wouldn’t sew right for me. They offered - without question - to take the machine back, sell me the Janome I wanted and refunded the full difference in price - six months after I bought it! They didn’t even try to push repair on me. They wanted me to be 100% satisfied with my machine. I’m thrilled with my Janome now.