I've got a Kenmore and it's about 10 years old. Pretty much worn out. That thing paid for itself over and over again. I also have a serger...love love LOVE it. But I so need a quilting machine. Nothing at all fancy, just basic. Suggestions?

janome 1600P - single straight stitch machine, fast as all dickens, 9 in. throat...about $700....check it out!

Juki has a similar machine and I believe Husq...has one too? Good luck!

Class 15 clone.
Those are 60s older, basic workhorses. I got one at a thrift store, for 20 bucks and I wouldn't part with it for anything! They are awesome.
If I were you, I'd keep my eyes peeled at thrift stores. Of course, I'm a little biased, I love old sewing machines! Yeah, sorta collect them :roll:

I collect old Singers too. I love them. I finally got a featherweight and love it.

Judy in Ohio

You can get some very reasonably priced elnas, that should last a long time. But, which ever machine you get, you should test drive various different brands and models of machines.

If you plan to do your own quilting, look for a machine that has the largest area between the needle arm and the body. That's where you'll be stuffing the quilt!
Needle down is a nice feature as well.
To me, those are the basics, everything else is gravy.

If you just need one for piecing there are a number of them on the market, but if you want to machine quilt or free motion I would recomend the Juki machine. I got mine through Sewvac.com. It was 599.00 with free shipping and I love it.

The Juki, Brother 1500, and Janome 1600 are basically alike. You should be able to find either one on sale for about $500. I have the Brother 1500 and it's great for machine quilting on a frame or on a table. Check out each one.

I'm glad you asked this question, so I can sing the praises of Pfaff again! Pfaffs have BUILT-IN fabric feed, so you don't need walking feet. Believe me, it's great both for piecing AND for quilting. I used to love Viking - it was my first computer sewing machine back in the 80s - but I hated having to attach the walking foot. I now own 3 Pfaff sewing machines - including an embroidery one, and I love them all. The dealers are terrific - both in Tucson, where I spend the winter, and in CT where I am the rest of the year. Plenty of classes to learn how to use the machines + other classes for fun.

One thing I won't tell you to do, is to purchase this or that machine. what works for me might not for you.

I tell you a couple of thoughts and you can go from there. Number One PURCHASE from a DEALER, their support is invaluable. If you need service you are going to have to go there anyway, why not start there. It's a relationship worth building.

What are YOUR needs, do you want a straight stitch only machine or do you want a couple of other stitches thrown in, maybe a blanket stitch so you can applique, or a few others so you can do some thread painting. Gather up a handful of material that you will use and head on down to the dealer, find a machine you like and ride it hard and put it up wet. See what it will do for you under all conditions.

I have no idea what your budget is, but consider this you had your last machine for 10 years, cost you what $300 ten years ago, that's $30 bucks a year not a bad investment. Don't be afraid to spend a little more on a quality machine, it will pay for itself down the road.