For Home Machine Quilting, which brand machine?
 

For the first time I am considering getting a new home sewing machine that has a wide bed so that I can use it for machine quilting. I don't know what price range I will consider. What do you recommend? Also, do you recommend staying away from something?Thank you!

there are a lot of wide bed machines on the market at variable price points. You first need to set a budget of how much you are willing to spend. Brand name isn't as much important as choosing a good dealer and test driving. Most brands have excellent high end to mid-range machines. There are a lot of popular straight stitch mechanical machine that people swear by that can run you about 6-700 and almost all the brands carry a model in this range(most I think are manufactured by juki). Then there are expensive machines with wider harps that can run you 2k and up to 5K with all the bells and whistles. Everyone will recommend their favorite brand because they have it and love it but everyone's needs are different. So I would first make a budget, 2nd write down all the features you are looking for (what the machine is for, wide harp, needle down, needle threader, thread cutter, speed control, whether or not stitch regulator is something you might want to add on later, etc), 3rd test drive different brands makes and models, 4th make sure you choose the right dealer(you don't want a good machine but a crappy dealer). My machine is very pricey but I do everything on it from sewing, quilting, embroidery and it does everything well, but I wouldn't invest in that kind of machine if I solely only wanted it for FMQ. If I just wanted a machine for just FMQ I would invest in the straight stitch machines

Out of all my machines my favorite go to machine for quilting is a vintage Brother end loading straight stitch machine set into a cabinet. I never have tension issues with it, it takes any thread I want to use and it free motions like a dream.

Cari

My favourite is my juki. It is the basic model and only does a straight stitch which is limiting to other patchwork sewing. I have a Bernina 440nq for fancy stitches which has a small harp. Both these are heavy machines and don't move far when quilting. I do have a husqvana Viking 100h which is my light weight machine for classes. This runs all over the place if I try quilting with it.
you need to have weight in a machine to hold it still but I'm sure as you only mention one machine you will be looking at stitches as well. Juki and bernina have these machines but price you can pay will have a say.

Love my vintage Singer 301A. Do all my quilts with it. No computer trouble, no plastic gears to break. Easy to maintain and service at home.

I use a Brother 1500. It has long harp, mechanical, easy to operate, and the price is pocket money, no need to save forever to get one.

Dolphyngrl has it - we all have our favorites. They may not turn out to be right for you. Take her advice and see what you like best. I like FMQ best on my dinky Costco version mechanical Brother. Tiny harp. But that is not for everybody. Probably not for anyone but me! I do have some nice vintage machines too. Also not for everybody

Try out a Janome 7700.....

I have two 9" throat machines. I use them for Piecing and FMQ. If I ever need to buy another I would like one with a larger throat and speed control.

There are lots of various sewing machines out there. You just have to make a list of the options you want, just like buying a car. I am still quilting on my Bernina 1530 that I bought in the late 90s. A big throat never kept me from quilting queen size quilts and winning awards with my quilts. To me, it is the matter of having great support for the quilt.

I have Singer S18, which I love, but more importantly for you is the features that you want to look at in whatever machine you end up with.

I think the needle down feature is very important. The thread cutter and speed control too. I really like that my machine has a knee control. Pay close attention to the amount of light the machine throws on your work. Be sure it comes with an extension table.

My machine came with a foot for FMQ and a walking foot along with a bunch of others. Check to be sure you are getting all the right accessories included. Try to get them to throw in a non-hopping foot if you plan to do any FMQ-ing.

The size of the harp is really important... Mine has a 9" harp and I have no trouble doing a queen size FMQ.

Another important thing is that you have a dealer who is willing to give you lessons and help as you learn the machine.

Check out a bunch of machines and see which you like.

Watson

I have a Janome and really love the big throat that it has; it is a 6500 model and has all the whistles and bells that a quilter needs.

There are too many choices in a machine you have described... I think most of the top brands have DSM with a 9-11 inch throat space, the option to drop feed dogs, speed control and more. It really is personal preference and your budget. If you get a chance to attend a quilt show, many of the dealers will have them on display for you to use. When I made my final decision on Janome, one of the determining factors was that there was a local Janome dealer who could service my machine and that I could get parts and accessories easily. Good luck.

I love my Tiara II, a sit-down mid arm with a 16" throat. It is only a quilting machine (no feed dogs to move the fabric) however, so if you are looking for other features on it besides quilting, this is not it. It has totally changed the options I have for FMQing however. The quilt is moved like a regular DSM, and it is built into a table that doesn't take up the entire room. I did buy the extension tables but it is situated with needle in the front and motor in the back like a long arm machine.

I have a Janome 8900 with an 11" harp. I love it to quilt on. It has been a good machine for me and was mid-price $2,500-3,000).

I agree that needle down feature and speed control are nice features that I would consider necessary. I also like the design of the walking foot on the Janome 8900 as I do a lot of walking foot quilting. The FMQ feet on this machine are nice as well. They are different shapes and they don't hop. I find it hard to FMQ with a hopping foot.

It has a lot of decorative and utility stitches that I have used more than I thought I would so that is nice as well.

You really need to test drive machines and see where your comfort level is budget wise before making a decision.

Do not get a Janome 7700. Janome is not makkng them anymore and dealers won't take them on trade in.....look at the 8900 or 8200 with larger harp space. If harp space is not an issue...then look at the janome 6600. All of these have tne built in walking foot. Go to shows or local dealer and try them out...be sure to take a little quilt sandwich to test.

I have Bernina 550 quilters edition, has stitch regulator, needle up,down feature, 10 inch throat, Hundreds of stitches, LED lights, I have quilted all sizes on this machine, even king size quilts. I also have a Bernina 830' which has all the same features plus more, you can also embroider with this machine, and it has 13" throat, you can download quilting patterns from USB stick as well, of course Bernina will cost you a bit more, but very reliable machines.

I too love my Tiara but it is a sizeable investment. It does make it possible for me to quilt quilts that I wouldn't do on a DSM - even though mine has a large harp. Try several machines out and decide which one fits your needs and budget.

I have the Janome 6600 and love it for quilting. It has a 9" harp and is easy to move around while quilting.

BABY LOCK Crescondo, out of this world. What an excellent fmq machine. It has a long neck which gives plenty of room.Love my machine.

Most domestic machines will work for Fmq.

So what you need to think about is whether you want a machine that will also do decorative stitches, regular sewing and embroidery. To get something that does all of those things and has a wider throat you will be looking at spending upwards of $2000 for a new machine with a harp space of at least 10". These domestic machines have lots of bells and whistles, but they also take up a lot of space.

If you want a machine for Fmq only then you could go with a straight stitch only domestic machine that has a 9" harp space for between $600 and $1000.

I personally like to have the convenience of a needle down option for Fmq, but I fmq'd for many years on a vintage Brother machine that did not have that option. For me speed control isn't as much of a concern since my main Fmq machine has a very responsive and easy to control foot pedal-- some machines have foot pedals that are not so easy to control and those do require some form of speed control if you are planning on doing long quilting sessions.

Rob

Thanks, everyone, for all the great input! You've given me a lot of information and a lot of things to think about as I consider making a decision. :thumbup:

I have a Janome 6600 that I bought a few years ago for the same reasons you explain. I like it a lot. It is excellent for FMQuilting and has a wide walking foot for straight stitch quilting that works very well. It has a big throat and can hold up to a king sized quilt.

I definitely recommend trying to take the machine you want for a test drive first (otherwise, make sure they will take returns & if so, find out if there's a re-stocking fee). I really thought I wanted a machine with a larger harp, but after I went and tried them out, I went with a Bernina 350 that had the smallest harp of them all (5.5"). I still have no problem FMQ'ing up to a twin sized quilt in it using very thick batting (W&P). With Hobb's wool batting in the store, I was able to easily fit up to a Queen sized quilt in the harp. I love the durability and reliability of my Bernina & now better appreciate that sacrificing every other feature I wanted just to get a larger harp was not a great trade-off.

That said, there are others who feel the exact opposite of me & their opinion is ever bit as valid. :cool:

I also have a Janome 6600. I am very happy with it. Not the biggest harp but I've done queen size quilts on it. It's not fussy about thread and works quite well. I do have to slow down when I FMQ feathers. :) I've used some of the decorative stitches in my quilting. It does not have an embroidery module and that's fine with me. It isn't cheap though.

I have quilted on machines with smaller harps (small singer machine) and larger harps (brother 1500). I would never go back to a small harp if I was at all serious about enjoying quilting (especially) FMQ. I have done a king size quilt on my small singer, using a walking foot. 25 years ago. Not fun. The brother machine is a good alternative. There is a similar Juki machine. I just needed a machine that did more than just a straight stitch.

Just Me's suggestion is a good one - love, love, love my Janome 7700 for reasons too numerous to list here.