Help choosing new machine
 

Hello,

I am in the market for a new sewing machine, specifically a quilting machine. After 17 years of dedicated use, yesterday I donated my ultra-basic Janome machine to a technician to use for scrap parts. My heartstrings were tugged--that little machine and I have been through a lot together.

I immediately went to check out the Berninas at a local quilt store/dealer, and I now feel like I have been under a rock all these years. Why did I not upgrade my machine years ago? I had no idea of the capabilities of these new machines! I am now freakishly excited about the possibilities and projects that await. I would consider myself an intermediate quilter and am very much ready to upgrade into a solid, mid-range, all-around machine.

I have been doing a lot of reading today, and I am interested in Pfaff, Janome, Bernina, and possibly Juki. I keep reading about repair problems and repair cost with Bernina, but it seems people Love their Berninas. I specifically looked at the 570QE and am interested in other brands' machines that are comparable to that one. Please, for those of you who own one of the brands that I mentioned, tell me why you chose it and what you love (or don't love) the machine. I was rather taken in by the BSR on the Bernina, but it is a lot more expensive than its competitors, and it seems the accessories and potential repair costs will add up quickly.

I look forward to what you have to say. Thank you!

My main machines are Bernina and Juki. I have a Bernina with all the bells and whistles but I bought a straight stitch only Juki for FMQ. I'm new to this type of quilting and the Juki is helping me improve. My Bernina doesn't have enough harp space. But I use it for everything else.
You will get lots of responses I'm sure. A lot of nice machines out there!!! Good luck and have fun in your search!

You don't mention Babylock machines, just wondering why.
I have had Bernina 153QE and loved it, but as I got older my horse tromped feet couldn't push on the peddle anylonger and I ended up with a Babylock Elizabeth, [now I own two} and I also bought the Babylock Crescendo for the wide throat space it offers.
Good luck with your decision.

Tiggersmom, I didn't mention Babylock because it didn't come up in my research. I don't know anything about them. I will look into them--thanks!

Janome just came out with a new machine - I think the 6700...looks very interesting. I have the Janome 6600 and really like that machine. A friend of mine recently purchased the Janome 15000 - to end machine - but boy oh boy is it a fabulous machine. Good luck with this very important decision.

I have a Juki TL2010Q for quilting. However, it's a straight-stitch machine, so if you don't have another machine for any zig zag or stitches other than straight stitching, that might not be a good choice for you.

That being said, the TL2010Q is a great machine for quilting and piecing. The price is reasonable, the stitches are great, and it's great for FMQ. I've had mine for 3 years now, with no problems whatsoever.

I do have a vintage Singer and a Juki HZL-DX7 that I can use as back-ups and for decorative stitches.

If you're going to have one machine only, the HZL-DX7 does just about everything, however the harp size is a little bit smaller than the TL2010Q.

I recommend looking at the babylock crescendo/brother dreamweaver, the Janome 9400, the juki qvc2000. I honestly would choose these over the bernina. I spent an entire day each on the bernina 560QE and the 765QE and I honestly felt they were overpriced for the features. I also felt they were not the easiest to use. I much prefer my dreamweaver. I have been amazed at the Janome 9400. I think there are new Pfaff also coming out. The Janome 6700 is also really nice in demo if you are looking for a nice machine with more reasonable price. I recommend if you really are interested in bernina just make sure you bond with it. Everything is expensive with that brand.

You had a Janome that performed beautifully for 17 years, didn't you? That would tell me that they are pretty darn reliable machines. If it was me, I would look no further than Janome. They have all sizes, models, and prices. From the top of the line 15000 to the little Hello Kitty model. That said, my disclaimer is I am a Janome owner and have 3, the 15000, the 6600, and the 3160QDC. They each serve a purpose and would not give up any of them.
Seriously if you are looking for a mid range, check out the new 6700. I understand that it is an "upgrade" from the 6600 which I have owned for nearly 10 years. A complete workhorse, no problems, no breakdowns, no issues. Just regular cleaning and maintenance.
The 6600 is still available and if you do a search on it, you will find hundreds if not thousands of rave reviews.
Wishing you much fun in your search for a new machine. Like you, I was amazed at all the capabilities of machines these days.

I agree with Patricia Drew - I have the newest TL2200QVP Mini (comes with an array of quilters feet/guide) and I think it's Fabulous as a straight stitch workhorse! When I bought it I knew I would be buying a second machine for all the other decorative stitches (plan to after I go to our local Sew Expo next month!) If you're looking for one machine to do it all than this wonderful machine may not meet all your needs. BUT if you're looking for a fantastic, reasonably priced (paid $999), solid quilt/FMQ machine - this is it! I'm looking at the Juki HZL-DX2000 (another $999) for my second machine.

I went to the Bernina, Janome, Viking and Brother dealers - drove 'em all! That's my best advice to you then you'll discover what you like!

Good Luck -
Christine

I love both my Bernina. 930 Record and a 770QE. But, I do think they are costly and feet are expensive. My sis got a Brother and it was not cheap! Just know you are gonna spend some big bucks. Hit the bigger quilt shows so you can try several and they also offer incredible deals on the demo machines. All with full warranty... Have fun!

Test run the new Janome 9400. It has a large harp space and auto lift foot control. It has 9mm for beautiful decorative stitches as well. I also have the 6600. real work horse. But love the extra space on the 9400 for FMQ.

My Juki is a work horse. But I also have a Husquavarna

I love my Janome 14000 and my Juki 2010Q. If I could only have one of them, I would take the Juki because it is indispensable! The big Janome 14000 is roomy, easy to use and does great embroidery. I had a Janome 9500 before buying the 14000 and was very pleased with the quality. I also like Elna machines for their smooth operation and long life.

Unfortunately, having an old reliable machine of a brand doesn't mean that buying a new one will be satisfactory. I had a Husqvarna/Viking Rose that I really liked. When I shopped for a new machine 12 years later, I discovered that the H/V machines were no longer made in the same country, or with the same quality, as previously. I ended up with a Brother VQ3000 instead and have been very pleased with it.

I have two Baby locks , Love them I like the user friendly of it . drop in bobbin ease .

good luck :thumbup:

I own a Bernina 710 with BSR and a Juki TL2010Q. The 710 has all the bells and whistles but is temperamental...I hold my breath every time I turn it on wondering if we are going to get through a sewing session with smiles or frustration. The BSR was a novelty at first but I quickly found I preferred doing fmq without it. I don't need all the fancy other things the Bernina does. The Juki on the other hand is a straight stitch only, mechanical machine with needle up/down, presser foot pressure regulator, speed control, auto cut, and knee lever.......and I love it. I only do piecing and quilting, I don't like decorative stitches and I have no interest in embroidery and applique. The Juki is perfect for my needs and pleasure and the Bernina is now set up on the side cabinet as my "spare".

I'll be watching this thread, thanks.

Brother is my pick. I have 4 now. I am under the impression the Brother, Babylock and Bernina are all the same company and Brother is cheaper than the other 2. I love all of my Brothers from reliability to ease of use, they are my pick.

I have my Bernina 1080 (25+ years old), and it has never broken down, not even once. I love that machine. I have it cleaned every year and a half and its been wonderful, I can't complain. I also have Janome Gem that I purchased for workshops. I feel as though it cannot compare to my Bernina. I know a lot of friends that have the Gem and love it, I, not so much. That being said there are a few things I would like if I were to buy a new Bernina now. Needle threader, needle down position, and a larger harp space for the little machine quilting that I do. Good luck in whatever you choose.

I love my Janome 8900 QCP. I believe the 9400 is the upgrade version. Both have the 11" throat which is great. That said, keep up your research and test drive. Find the one that fits you best.

Sit down and figure out what you want the machine to do: is it mainly quilting and sewing, do you like embroidery (not all machines can do embroidery (Janome 8900 and 9400 do not). Is the machine staying home or traveling (weight considerations)? How close is the dealer?

No, they're not. Bernina is a separate entity and although Brother builds the high end Babylock machines, the Tacony Corp. owns Babylock. There is some overlap among all the major manufacturers. Brother and Janome build the Bernina Bernette Deco machines. Janome builds machines for just about everyone, etc....

Cari

I'm a Pfaff girl myself. You will never find anything so handy as the IDT feature. I have had Pfaff so over 20 years and the only thing I have ever done is regular cleaning and tune ups. I would recommend you visit a good dealer. You can try lots of machines and decide which one is best for you. I like to get a feel for the machine as I test them. A good dealer will help you find the one right for you as well as help with using it to the fullest.

I'm also a Pfaff girl. I upgraded my Pfaff to a Performance 5.0 a few years ago. I love it! I think the Performance line is now at 5.2. I'm not interested in an embroidery machine and the Performance was the top of the line Quilting machine by Pfaff. As maryb119 mentioned, the IDT feature is a winner! My prior machine was a Pfaff that I had for about 25 years. The only thing I ever did was regular cleaning. That machine was actually still in great shape, but I wanted to upgrade to more bells and whistles.

Many thanks to everyone who gave a reply! Your input was truly helpful. I spent several hours each day this week going to all the dealers in my area, some of them multiple times. I tried out most of the machines listed here that were in my price range, including the Pfaff 4.2, Janome 6600 & 6700, Babylock Aria, Juki, Brother, Elna, and Bernina. Seeing all those machines and reading online (& watching a bunch of YouTube videos) really helped me narrow down what I wanted. I came very, very close to purchasing a floor model Janome 6600. It was a great price! I didn't read a single bad review of that machine, it was very intuitive to use, and it met all my criteria. However, I had some MAJOR concerns about the dealer...and so I pulled out of the purchase at the last minute.

In the end, I wound up buying the very first machine I had looked at--a Bernina 570QE (without embroidery). I really fell in love with that machine, and the store/dealer was just amazing, for a number of reasons I won't list here. This whole process opened my eyes to how important the dealer is. (I will add that they also offered me the floor model of the 770QE at a steal of a price. I was tempted, but in the end, it was just way more machine than I need.) The whole process was very educational, and I learned a lot about what I wanted and didn't want. I should have done this years ago. Thank you again, everyone, for your help! Happy quilting!

Ohhhh, you're going to love your Bernina!!! It's my very favorite machine made. So happy for you!!!

I am a janome and a bernina gal. I love them both for different reasons. I think you will be happy with your choice. I love the straight stitch of the bernina and I think the bernina feet are hard to beat. They are on sale now, so good time to buy them if you know of ones you want. Wishing you many happy hours with your new machine.

How exciting for you! I look forward to seeing pics of your projects as you go. I am sure you will be very pleased with your new Bernina! Congrats :)

Christine

You may want to wait to see the "Next Generation" Bernina 5 Series machines. They will have the "Dual Feed," which is like a walking foot built-in. You'd want the N.G. 570 for quilting, or the N.G. 590 for embroidery.

I have the brother dreamweaver 3000 plus the Janome 15000. Love both. Glad I was able to get this deal by a lady who decided she couldn't keep these two wonderful machines that r brand new also got her koala cutting table. I got another koala cutting table plus a thread cupboard from another lady who downsized

Wonderful choice. Can't go wrong with Bernini. If they offer classes on using the machine, take the class. I'm on my 4th Bernina and love it. Happy Sewing!

I'm reading this thread with great interest as I'm deciding between the Bernina 570 QE and Janome 6700 this week. Now that you've had your 570QE for a little while, wondering if you have been happy with your decision. I'm on the fence between the Bernina and the Janome, so would really appreciate hearing about your experience and recommendations. Thanks!