For hands on training you will need to go to a dealer :lol:

Happy shopping :thumbup:

I have a Pfaff and I love love love it!

I have a Pfaff and love it. I got it for Christmas. Since then Janome has come out with a really neat machine that is less than $1000. Had I seen that one first, I would have got it, as it was closer to what I wanted to spend and has most of the features of my Pfaff.

I've heard that Singer has gone downhill quality-wise. :( My older (late 80's or early 90's) "plain jane" Singer is a real workhorse, though.

I also wouldn't recommend a Brother SQ9000 from Walmart. I'll post a link below. I bought it back in May, and had it for about 10 days. It was okay at first, but it started making strange noises totally out of the blue. Something apparently got out of alignment because it started mangling needles. Not just breaking them, but destroying them. Eek! It went right back to the store. From the reviews that have come in since then, it looks like I'm not the only one who had problems with it. It's too bad, too, because it's a really good value as far as the price and the accessories that are included. :(

Link: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-80...chine/14237606

I'm interested in what other folks recommend for you. At some point I need to get a back-up for my old "everyday" Singer ... ideally another workhorse that's got all-metal parts. :) (Edit: I have two Pfaffs that I inherited from my Granny, but haven't learned to use them well enough yet. I'm sure they need a check-up/cleaning before I do any "serious" sewing on them. They seem to be VERY well-made.)

My experience with Singer has been totally different. I love mine. Excellent sewing, embroidery and features for the dollar. No issues. I have no problems recommending them. Originally, I bought a Bernina and it was in the shop more than my house! They bought it back, and I went and purchased the Singer XL1000.

Now that Singer, Pfaff and Janome (or is it Viking?) are all owned by the same company, it makes comparing the features vs. dollars even more critical.

I would always recommend when buying a new machine, to know if the machine requires special feet or needles, and if feet/needles can be readily purchased or must be special ordered. My girlfriend is really unhappy with a machine she bought that uses only needles not available in any store, but must be special ordered.

Good luck with your shopping! Hope you find exactly what you desire :)

I would go to a sewing dealer too, and look for trade ins. Especially ifyou are on a budget. I love the old machines alot, butyou probaly wouldnt get anyone to teach you from Craigslist!

I have to agree with you. Singer does make good machines for the price range they are in. I have a 9940 that I use daily. I bought it online and factory refurbished. The warranty on a factory reconditioned machine is the same as a new one. My fiend spent a large amount of money on a Viking (that is the company owned by the same company as Singer) and she is having trouble with hers as she finds it confusing to use. For the amount of money she spent compared to what I spent ...I can buy another couple or three Singers when they wear out. Check out the their new embroidery/sewing machine or the Futura 350 as they may meet your needs at an affordable price.

Thank you all for your suggestions! I finally settled on a gently used Pfaff Performance 2056. It is 2 years old still under warranty for 3 years and I got lots of hands on training from the dealer. I Love Love Love it! Because it was used I got a much nicer machine with more options than if I had bought a new one, stayed under budget and am very happy! I really appreciate all of your feed back!

This same subject comes up every other week.
depends on your budget and your needs/wants.
We each have our favorite brand, and what shops are near you, etc, etc..

I have always loved Singers, but the quality has gone down in the last few years. Through my research of business deals, etc, it turns out a multi-national corporation purchased the Singer brand in 2007, and since that company already owned other high-end sewing maching companies, they decided to no longer sell high-end Singers. All you can get right now from Singer are cheap pieces of junk (yup, bought a Singer Confidence model last year at JoAnn's for $300).

But I do have a happy ending to my story - I was able to find a new-in-the-box Singer Quantum XL6000 - probably the last one in the United States and I love it!