I love mine too. I also have a Freesia. I do prefer the no lift to manual.

Love, love, love my Sapphire. But I know what you mean about the presser foot lift. It takes a while to get the hang of it. I've had my Sapphire for a few months now and I still reach for the lifter. But the stitches are so good, it makes perfect buttonholes every time and I love the sewing advisor. The extra light and large throat are also fantastic features.

Is there anything else that you dislike about the Sapphire?

Mary

I love my Vikings. You'll get use to not having to lift and lower your presser foot.

I love my three Vikings (QDII, Lena, and Rose). The QDII has the needle down/presser foot up option, and I love it!! I also have a Pfaff QE4 that does the same thing. It might feel strange at first, but you will learn to love it. It is very handy when doing machine applique and chain piecing. I have gotten so used to it that if I use one of my other machines that doesn't have it, and I am at the end of a seam, I sit and stare at the presser foot for a few seconds, waiting for it it lift up before I realize what machine I'm using...LOL!!

Same here except I usually start sewing without putting the presser foot down. That just doesn't work. LOL

I've got a Viking Sapphire 830 and love it! It does take a while to get used to the automatic things. I do forget to put the foot down on the Featherweight now especially if I've just come from the Viking.

Does your dealer offer classes? I found it very helpful to go in a couple of times when I got mine.

I have the Sapphire 875 and i love love it. I started sewing about one and a half year ago with an old fashion brother machine and when i started getting vikings now i think will never know how to use any other machine. I got recently the Emareld 203 and has many beatiful features but with manual presser foot and for the love of God it is so hard to get used to it, but i am trying because i need a backup. I hate to be using my SE a lot for sewing.

its so funny reading all of these- i also sew on a viking...and i love my machine but the one thing that (was) a problem was that dog=gone pressure foot going down all by itself!
(not that it does)

before my viking i had a brother- my chocolate lab insisted on laying right under me when i sewed- she was constantly (trying) to lay across my foot pedal--with the brother- not a big deal---brought that viking home and set it up---if i got up to walk across the room to the ironing board sure as... that dog would lay across that pedal and ZOOOOOOMMM down some seams (after all she weighed 90 pounds- she drove fast!)
it was a problem-
but one i miss- my poor ole dog had spent her 14 years with me- it's been a bit over a year now- and i sure miss her underfoot- and under my sewing table...and now that i don't have to (watch) that feature all the time i find it a great feature- i can hold on to the fabrics and know the foot will go down when i step on the foot. :)

I have the Viking Platinum as well - not a Quilter's Edition though. Wouldn't trade it for anything. My friend also just bought a new Viking - sorry can't remember the model. When you touche the foot pedal the presser foot drops automatically and when you stop sewing it automatically raises. It's a little freaky to me as well but I'm sure I'd get used to it. If this is what yours does and it bothers you maybe there is a setting to turn that feature on/off???

I have a Topaz 30 and just LOVE the auto lift on the pressure foot. I think it would be hard to go back to a manual. I did laugh at myself when I first started using it as I was reaching behind it to lift the pressure foot. In a short amount of time I'm sure you will get use to it and wonder how you ever managed without it.