As a novice quilter, I am looking to update my 32year old Bernina. In the process of researching Husqvarna & Pfaff machines, I read that some of you are very put off these brands, because they are now manufactured in China. I am in Australia and have spoken to several retailers about the change of manufacturing site. There have been no problems with availability of parts or service and everything has been business as usual. One assistant at a large distributor told me that the owner (a qualified sewing machine mechanic) actually totally took apart a new machine, just to check on the quality of build. He was extremely impressed and feels there is no need for concern. So I am looking to buy either the Husqvarna Designer Topaz 30 or the Pfaff Creative 2.0. Having test driven both, I am having difficulty deciding. The Topaz has the bigger hoop, the Sewing Advisor, Sensor system and attachable walking foot. The Pfaff has the IDT (built in dual feed) and similar features and stitches to the Topaz?? The prices are within $A200 as the Husqvarna is on special at the moment. I would really appreciate any feedback that might help me decide!

If you've read all the past threads here about the SVP buy out and the change in manufacturing, I don't know what else to tell you. Have you done a search on the specific machines you're interested in? I don't know if I'd take a reseller's opinion of the quality over what I've read on the net and heard from pretty much everyone I've talked to...but that's just me.

I'm curious to know what model Bernina you currently have. If you look at several posts, you'll see that a number of the Bernina's have been so reliable they have actually appreciated in price over the years. I'd consider carefully before trading in a vintage Bernina, especially if you're primarily interested in quilting. There is a site with posts about 'vintage machine I most regret getting rid of...'. I'll have a look to see if I can find it again. There are Bernina's from the 70's and 80's that are worth their weight in gold (almost!) for resale.

I love my Pfaff's. I ended up with a Creative Vision for embroidery and such. I take my older Pfaff to classes and quilting get togethers.
I have a dear friend who will service my older Pfaff ... but the CV needs a special grounding pad [or some such] and she doesn't do those. Though I have had no problem with the CV.
The dual feed is what has kept me quilting due to arthritis in my hands.

So ... get the machine you bond with the best ... and enjoy.

ali

I have worked for Viking and also own a Designer 1, and i truely believe there is no better machine than a Viking. I have heard numerous stories from friends about their pfaffs --they like them, and then the computer parts went out, had to wait for months to get the replacement parts, and cost them a boatload of $$$. I understand that now Vikings are being manufactured in China--but what we didn't know before is that the computerized Vikings have been made there for several years--and they were still top of the line machines.
So, if my house were on fire, i would rescue my Viking!

I would only buy from a DEALER not a DISTRIBUTER. Dealers give free lessons. You may pay a lower price to a distributer, but you won't get the lessons you need to learn how to use your new machine.

As far as which machine to buy, I'm a Pfaff person - mainly because of the built-in walking foot. No need to attach one. You can use ALL the fancy stitches with it. It's worth its weight in gold as far as I'm concerned. When I walked into the dealership, which was a Viking AND Pfaff dealership, I thought I was going to buy another Viking, because I loved my old Viking, but I needed a NEW one. It only took a demo of the IDF to change my mind - it's the perfect thing for a piecer/quilter. That began a LONG relationship with that dealer in Tucson. I've bought 4D software and 2 more Pfaffs from them - an embroidery machine & a serger. And I've taken MANY classes.

I have a Viking that I have owned for the last ten years (at least) and love it. Before that, a Bernina. Loved that too but needed to upgrade. I would still like to upgrade again and would certainly be happy with either but when I saw the Pfaff demonstrated, I must say I fell in love. I am pretty much in the same dilema. I really like the built-in walking foot. Oh, what to do?

I have Berninas,a viking and a Pfaff. I like the Pfaff because it has the IDT, all my blocks come out the correct size because the top layer doesn't get pushed ahead.I have the Viking Sapphire 875 and like that one for all the fancy stitches and the longer throat; its the one I use most for machine quilting. The Berninas get used because they are fabulous machines.

I can tell a distinct difference between my newer Pfaff and the older ones. No, it is not a lemon. No, there is nothing WRONG with the machine per se. It is just not up to par with the older model. Ho-hum, the honeymoon is over and I went to Babylock instead.

That said: I believe that a sewer/quilter who does not have the older machines as a comparison will notice this as much. If someone test drives a new Pfaff and likes it - by all means, get it.

I am not bothered by the quality as much as I am not impressed that so many of the dealers will no longer be carrying these machines!!!