I bought a Janome a long time ago because that's what was sold in my area at the time (I didn't have internet then). When I was ready to upgrade, I was happy with my Janome so that was my starting point. I did way too much research and settled on the 6600, partly because of the reviews, partly because of the features, and partly because the 7700 was coming out and i thought maybe that meant I could get a better deal on the 6600.

first off I would do some research then when I find one I think I might like go and try it out also keep in mind where the dealer is and the cost what I want to spend on a machine no sense in spending more money for a machine that I would not use all the bells and whistles.

The best bet is a big quilt show. Go around and try a few. I think knowing what you are looking for such as needle up and down, cutter in the foot, large throat is important to happiness. You can always ask the saleperson at a show what makes their machine different? You may be surprised at the answers. I chose the Juki 2010, because I wanted a basic workhorse with no special stitches. I have smaller machines for those if I care to do them.

I had used a simple basic Brother machine I bought from Walmart some years ago. After some years, it just wasn't fun to sew on ... more like work. When I decided to learn to quilt, I read a lot of quilt blogs/sites to see what machines others used. Then I went to my local SMD and looked at machines from $500 to $6,000 (my budget was $800). I bought the Juki F600 for $1,000. Yes, I went over my budget ... yes I have more decorative stitches than I will ever use. But I researched this machine for months and determined that I could get all the features I wanted and more with the Juki for several thousands of $'s less than other brands. And I really liked that the Juki was so much quieter than some of the others I tried. Go to a quilt show ... your nearest SMD(s) and try them all.

When I got my Brother SQ9000 I just wanted something to do piecing, and machine applique (mostly satin stitch). It was less than $200, and it has served me well for over 4 1/2 years. As far as quilting, I mostly do that by hand. Just machine quilt on small wall hangings, and placemats.

Two things I wanted was a drop in bobbin and needle down. When I got auto thread cutter, that was a bonus. he dealer tried to show me a much bigger machine but that is not what I really wanted. First, it would not fit into my sewing cabinet. Second, I have no desire to do embroidery work. It is beautiful but I prefer to stick with quilting. Just decide what you're really interested in and what would be a waste of your money to have on a machine.

Buy vintage. I've two machines with bells and whistles that break. I'm currently shopping for a vintage machine to use for everyday use. I rarely use the bells and whistles.

I really want a vintage Singer. I'll keep looking for one off & on. I am getting a Sphinx Nostalgia that I hope works out until I find the real thing. I have a Singer 9022 that works kind of okay for now.

Thanks, everyone. I have a Singer electronic that I bought an extension table for and it is fine since I don't get to do nearly as much sewing/quilting as I'd like. But when the time comes to upgrade, I have a lot of good ideas and yes, I probably need to test drive some of these machines to see the difference.

I went to the local dealer, local service was important to me, if I had a problem I did not want to have to travel long distance or send machine in and I wanted to be able to take advantage of the free owners classes. Then, I tried out all of the machines. Chose the one I liked best that fit my needs.