I have a Designer 1. Altho I really like it - it DOES run into lots of $$$$$. It is a model that you can get a great price now IF you look around. Mine still has the floppy which works just fine with me. I bought mine thru ebay and have bought the 4DExtra software. There are so many capabilities that I haven't learned yet. Good luck with your decision.

I have the Viking Designer SE. I bought it used in wonderful condition. I have been sewing on it for two years and love every minute of it. I don't think you could go wrong with a Husquvarna Viking. Good luck

I'm not sure what year my machine was made but, yes, it does work with cams.

I am a viking lover. I have had many from the 400 up. I now have the designer diamond. I will admit i bought it for retirement sewing. Will practice more on the embroidery this winter when have more time. Sews like a champ. BUT dealer ship is what made me choose a viking. If you can;t get lessons, repairs, or mine came with 7 years service free. That is what makes the difference. I love my dealer, the shop that I bought it and the service. The machine is great.

I bought my Husqvarna 2 years ago. I love it!

I have the Huskystar and the Sapphire 875 and really like them both. The 875 is just a recent purchase but really like it. The Huskystar is maybe 7 years old and is a real workhorse. The 875 is a wonderful machine.

I have owned a Viking 6690 since 1982. I've really worked it, having had a monogramming business for a while in the 80's. That is when you did it in a hoop using free motion. I've sewed wedding dresses, made over 30 quilts, done mending and made garments. I've never had to take it to the shop, knock on wood. When I purchased the machine they gave me classes on how to use, service and clean the machine. It was quite expensive in 1982 ($1200), but I love it and will use it until it won't do the job for me. I have a little lightweight Janome I take to classes. I like it too. Jaunita in Kansas

love my viking

I have a Viking/Husqvarna DesignerSE and love it! Also got the embroidery part, which I would also love, but didn't get enough lessons as the dealer went out of business!! So have been just using the sewing machine and recently finished making a quilt for our daughter and her husband, queen sized "LoversKnot" pattern. I did all the quilting on the SE using varigated colored thread with a fancy stitch and it turned out great!! They have seen a picture and can hardly wait to get it!!
Perky2

I have an older Viking 500 and I absolutely love it. It has never given me any problems at all. Over the years I have sewn garments, quilts, kid clothes, appliqued towels hemmed and reapaired on it. I even quilt on it. Sure I would like one of the new ones they have, but just can't do that money thing right now and even if I did, I would not give up my 500. Would not have a Bernina at twice the price. Guess I am a Viking Girl

oldie was my first one..still have it and absolutely LOVE it a 6440!! Have a new Special Edition with embroidery and quilting attachment. Just lukewarm about it!

BTW...I tried to buy another 6440 for my daughter. It was such an amazing model that it has held it's value and the dealer said IF he could find someone to part with theirs..they were selling for $800!! this is a machine I got in 1977!!

I've used a Viking and I bought a BabyLock more bells and whistles and user friendly and cost effective, plus almost all models have threading and scissors function. The Ellissimo the top of the line and the Ellegante have the pressure auto lift for ease of pivoting for quilting. Brother also has these functions. Check and test drive all models. Make sure you are comfortable with the dealer and also the convient location will probably be important. I know Nancy Zieman and Ellenor Burns are spoke persons for this brand. Good luck the choices are many.

I love my Viking Designer ll and would never own any other kind of sewing machine. This is my third Viking ( I up graded twice) and I am a true follower!!.

I also have the Husqvarna Viking Platinum 755 and I also LOVE IT!!!! I started with a singer and now use this one. It is so easy to use. Love it!!! Good Luck!

I have saphire 830 and LOVE it. Sews like a dream. No problems at all.

I have a scandinavia 300. It is dual purpose.........sewing & embroidery.
I rarely use the embroidery. The lessons were good: & dealer was very useful.
I guess, I still feel intimitaded by it !

I use my brother cheap one......or my Janmone.
I have a old White serger that has been a work horse. !

I have 2 Husqvarna sewing machines and I love them both. I have the 415 and the Designer SE. I have to thank my husband for the SE, as he talked me into buying it. I would never buy anything but a Husqvarna.

I have a Designer 1, a Designer SE also had the Mega quilter with frame. Sold the mega quilter then purchased an HQ 16. Have a Scandinavia not computerized but has a beautiful stitch. Am very happy with all. Love all the automatic stuff.

I have two husqvarnas. My new one is a Husqvarna Sapphire with a nice large throat. I love it. I like the way the needle stays in and the foot raises with just a tap on the foot feed. I like the way you can wind the bobbin without unthreading the needle. I like the way you can tell it the type material you are using and it fixes the tension for you. Mostly I like the shop/dealer I bought it from. I decided to buy my new machine there because of the way they took care of my old Husqvarna when it needed repair. I recommend you feel good about the people you buy your machine from no matter what kind it is.

Love the Viking. Started with a cam model in the 80's. Traded it in on a 990, which I have since given to my Aunt after buying the Designer II. Also have the HuskyLock and Iris. The shop where I purchased all 5 machines has been owned by the same man since the 70's and his children work there also. When I was going to trade my 990 in for the Designer my hubby told him I didn't want to give up the 990 so he gave us the Designer at the same price as he would have with the trade in. Gordon gives the best service of anywhere I have ever shopped. Have never been disappointed a day in 30 years of owning these machines.

Purchased a Quilt Designer II in June 2006. I can't complain about the machine or the fact they did replace the entire needle threader shaft in 2007. I just can't get used to all the features although I've worked with computers since the 1980's. I personally prefer my Featherweight's for piecing. I set up the Husqvarna/Viking when I want to do something more that my little Featherweights won't do -- Then read the manual to aquaint myself with the machine again.

I have had many different Viking machines.. I have loved everyone. Right now I have the Viking SE and a Mega Quilter. I like the idea that i have a great sewing machine and also an embroidery machine. It also has a lot of neat features. like the thread cutter, no lift persure foot, needle up or down and lots of aother things. Iuse my mega quilter with my Little Gracie quilting frame and it does a really great job. I sure hope you choose theVicking machine. I think you will really enjoy using it.

I own a Viking Mega Quilter, 936 serger, Designer SE and Designer Diamond..........and I LOVE each of the machines. My local dealer is close, very experienced, and delivers absolutely WONDERFUL customer service......

Bought a Sapphire 850 in Feb 2008 as an all purpose machine - I thought I might like to quilt, had no interest in an embroidery machine (silly me!). Loved the Sapphire. Great machine. Then I went to a guild quilt show and saw beautiful embroidered quilt tops. I was hooked! Did a trade up to the Designer Diamond. Love it, love it, love it - and know I don't know all the things it can do. Then I came across a used SE so I got it for classes and times when I'm embroidering on one and sewing on another (Christmas would not have been finished without that second machine!). Love it too. Think I'm hooked on Vikings.
But...buy your dealer. The machine may be good but if the dealer is bad you won't be happy. You're going to have questions, you may want to take some classes and you may have service or warranty issues. You want the dealer to help you with those things. Happy shopping and sewing!

Had to chuckle when I read this. I have my mother's Featherweight and took it to my first quilting class - so easy to carry, good straight stitch, etc, etc. And it was sentimental for me to be able to use Mom's machine (she passed away in 10/08).

Mmmm - back to my Viking in a hurry! I do like to use the Featherweight when I'm doing relaxed sewing, but if I'm in production mode it has to be the Viking.

Didn't used to understand why people had so many sewing machines....but now I'd also like to have my late mother in law's white Featherweight too. And I have my grandmother's treadle machine....can we have too many?

I have a Viking Saphire 870 Quilt .... a gift from DH about three years ago. I absolutely LOVE it. I've sewn all my life and never expected to have a machine like this. I've had no problems of any kind, and I use it a lot, mostly for quilting, but lots of general sewing too.

I have a 415 Fessa and love it. It's small.

Yes, I own a 1 Plus. Have had it for 10 or 12 years now and still love it. They do not make that model anymore but sometime gently loved ones come available when someone trades up. It is a embroidery machine but a don't use that feature. I mostly do quilting
peterparley.

I have a Bernina and I love it. The 440 Quilters Edition, it is an awesome machine for home sewing, it has the stitch regulator and walking foot. I've sewn all my life and had white, singer, Elgin, Consew, New Home, Janomie and Kenmore and Brother, and a White and now BabyLock Serger, I love the Bernina best!German made, excellent and it takes a beating from me.

I have a#1, D1 & diamond. I had an Se and love them all. If I had it to do over I would have kept the Viking SE that I traded for the diamond only because the SE did most of the things I wanted to do. You can embroider on the diamond and then sew w/o having to take embroidery unit off which is a nice feature. You won't be sorry with a Viking unless you don't have a good dealer but that goes for any machine you buy.

I have a Diamond and a Sapphire 870. Love them both. Use the Diamond for alot of embroidery and the save feature on it is great. Use the Sapphire for piecing and quilting. Diamond is also great for piecing but I have not tried it for quilting.

I have a Designer 1 and really love it. No problems, except to find the time to stay sewing on it. Wish you were here in Phoenix and I'd take you to Andi at Ultimate Sewing Place, who is a great Viking dealer.

I just got the Sapphire 870. I've been having tons of fun learning all the things I can do with it. I wanted the big throat for quilting. I was a little amused that it was a quilting machine, but then I had to pay MORE for quilting feet - walking foot, 1/4" edge guide, stitch-in-ditch, good spring darning foot for free motion quilting. I just made a dog bed out of recycled jeans. It sewed through 6 layers of denim when I did the corners.

I have a Viking Saphire and I wouldn't trade it for any other machine. It is wonderful. Doesn't do all that fancy embroidry, but sure is the best for piecing and FMQ that I have ever seen. I also have a Husqvarna 980, and it is an old workhorse. For the money I found they have done the best job for me.

I have a Viking Saphire and I wouldn't trade it for any other machine. It is wonderful. Doesn't do all that fancy embroidry, but sure is the best for piecing and FMQ that I have ever seen. I also have a Husqvarna 980, and it is an old workhorse. For the money I found they have done the best job for me.

most all Viking dealer have on site repair but not all The JoAnns that sell Vikings.
My oldest Viking #1 has been 3 times in 20 years... they are very low maintance....never needs oiled

I have the one with the floppy too and love it.... just bougtha bunch of floppys then got the new usb port Designer Diamond... it will last me the rest me the rest of my life as the #1 20 years old.

retirement sewing is what I got my Diamond for also and I love the huge hoop

I have four machines and they are all Husqvarna. I just
love them. One is a serger and one is the Mega Quilter. The other two are regular sewing machines. It's a good
company and they are very helpful with tech support if you
need it.

itsthepitz