Hi All,

I am in the process of researching new sewing machines - and what a process it is!!! I'm sure you all have been asked these types of questions SO many times that you're tired of it, but I need help!

Okay - I'm looking at Pfaff, Bernina, and possibly Elna... I've heard wonderful things about Pfaff, so that's the direction I'm leaning (Berninas are SO expensive and I've heard mixed reviews on Elnas)...

*** I just realized that I forgot to add Husqvarnas to the list - I am looking into those too, but I don't know much about their machines and which model would be best for quilting***

If you could spare a moment, let me know:

1.) What machine you have
2.) What you love about it
3.) What you don't love about it
4.) How much you paid for it (I know this may be a rude question, but I just really need to know what a "good deal"is on these machines... I walk into a dealer and feel like I'm a sitting duck!!!)

I feel like you are all the best people possible to ask - quilters! I will be using the machine primarily for quilting. Large throat space and smooth, even FMQing are a couple of things that are important to me when quilting.

THANK YOU so much (in advance) for your help and advice :D

Husqvarna Viking SE combo sewing/embroidery machine
Sensor Foot that lifts and drops automatically via foot pedal...Pages of decorative stitches including FM stitches built in...
Can't think of one think I hate
Open stock in 2007 4500.00 reg price was 7500...You can find them for around 2500-3000 since they don't make them anymore but do have upgraded models
Always wait for an "Open Stock" sale before paying full price.
Once you work on a Husqvarna I bet you don't bother with your other choices...They are the only one with the sensor foot and it's great on appliques and turning since you don't have manuelly lift a hinge inthe back of your machine...just lift your foot.

1.) What machine you have

Juki F600

2.) What you love about it

the beautiful stitch, the throat size is 9 inches, the 200+ decorative stitches, the fonts for quilt labels, the large extension table, the numerous applique stitches, the quilting stitches, the needle up/down, the knee lift, the thread cutter, and the fact that i never have a tension problem or any type of machine problem.

3.) What you don't love about it

if i designed the machine i would have made a low bobbin sensor. but aside from that its perfect.


4.) How much you paid for it

$700 - also what i like about the machine, a great bang for the buck.

I have a Pfaff 2170 and others but use it the most.
Pros----It has the IDT which I LOVE, lots of stitches and can also embroider. I love the way it sews. Also has needle down, the presser foot can raise automatically if you want it to, it has a knee lift you can use. auto-thread cutter, low bobbin sensor. I know I'm forgetting something.
Cons----It's presser foot lifter is on the right side of the needle housing instead of in the back. It's in the way and when I'm trying to move a quilt around under the needle the fabric will bump into the presser foot lever and knock it down again and again. Very irritating. When I bought it I didn't think it would bother me but it does.
Also I don't often use the embroidery unit. I use my Janome 350e instead.
Price---I bought it used for about $2500.
Would I buy the 2170 again? Probably not since I don't use the embroidery unit. But would I buy a Pfaff for the sewing and IDT? Yes

I have 2 brother machines which I absolutely love. I also have an older Janome machine that is a workhorse but is pretty much a basic machine. There are several Brother machines that are reasonably priced and also Janome's. If there is a Brother dealer near you they often have very good bargains on used machines. You could pick up a good machine for $500 to $600 new and used even better. I have never had maintenance problems with my machines.

I have no experience with a Pfaff; but I agree that Berninas are way over priced.

Pfaff Creative Vision. I love the IDT, and all the other features. Lots of room to quilt. Embroidery unit has quilt designs to be used in squares. Many fancy stitches.
I paid about $7000 with all the extras. The only thing I don't like is that I don't have enough time to really learn to use it!

I currently have a babylock Ellisimo which does sew, quilt and embroider. Unfortunately for me, I am about to sell it due to financial straits. Paid $7500.

2. I love everything about this machine and it breaks my heart to let it go. It has auto tension that is amazing when doing FMQ. It has 10 inch throat space. Embroidery features are beyond description.

3. There is nothing I don't like.

(If anyone knows of someone interested, PM me. Asking $6300.)

1.) What machine you have - Janome Horizon

2.) What you love about it - Love, love the Accufeed system (built in walking foot), love the 11" throat, love how it sews beautifully, no problems FMQ, it has needle up/down, auto cutter, needle threader, a mass of stitches ...well, you can google and see what it has .. I just love it. :)

3.) What you don't love about it - nothing really..sometimes I have trouble getting the thread to run through the little tension thing when winding the bobbin, because you can't actually see it - it's under a cover - but that's no biggie...just me I think. Most times I get it first time now without any problems.

4.) How much you paid for it - I paid $3300 (in Australia) and was given the open toe Accufeed foot with it

Janome 6600 - love the accufeed (integrated walking foot) especially for strip piecing. larger (9") throat space. Needle up/down stop at the touch of a button. Knee lift. Also has thread cutter and needle threader but I dont' use these options a lot. A good amount of decorative stitches and alphabet. Don't like the fussyness of the machine with regard to what thread I use - I have to figit with the tension every time I change thread. Paid $700 used.

Huskvarna Lily 535 - love the beautiful perfectly straight stiches, smoothness of the machine, and the fact that I can feed it practically any thread in any stitch and rarely have to change the tension - it just goes. Has a good amount of decorative stitches. No other bells and whistles though. I have no idea what I paid because it was a gift from my husband several years ago. The only thing I don't like about the machine is that I'm hearing it can sometimes be hard to get parts - they've been bought out by Singer and moved manufacturing from Sweden to China now (got mine when it was still made in Sweden). I called the dealer I got mine from yesterday to ask him about something else and he informed me that he will no longer be selling Husky's because he's tired of his customer's getting mad because they have to wait so long for parts. So you might want to think about that. it's too bad because I adore the machine, I just hope I don't need to rely on getting parts for it!!

1.) What machine you have:

(5) sewing machines.
Janome, Singer 301A Long bed, 401A Singer/cabinet/bench, Sears Kenmore/vintage, & Singer Serger
2.) What you love about it:

Love all of them because they are functional and make it easier for me to get my projects done, but my favorite is the 401A Singer.
3.) What you don't love about it:

on my 301A the paint's chipping off (cosmetic complaint) and it needs a new Bobbin case/case holder, the Janome is not put out for heavy duty sewing like the Singers, so it sits collecting dust. The 401A needs the bobbin winder fixed, but I use the other machines for winding my bobbins and the Singer Serger is noisy, and you have to keep the blade oiled if you're going to use it all day long.


4.) How much you paid for it (I know this may be a rude question, but I just really need to know what a "good deal"is on these machines... I walk into a dealer and feel like I'm a sitting duck!!!):

For the Janome $250.00, the 301A Singer $20.00 and invested over $60.00 for sewing foot pedal and miscellaneous parts, the 401A $80.00 (my favorite baby too....!) and the Singer Serger $212.00

Ditto, although I paid the $7500.00 for mine. I also have the Husqvqrna D1 that DD has claimed as hers, I love that I can control the speed that the machine will run. I like setting the control to medium speed then using the start/stop button when using the decorative stitches.

You didn't mention Janome. I've had several Pfaff machines but think Janome will be my next one. Just take fabric and sew on whatever you're interested in. I've always bought from a LQS which offers classes and/or help also. I think sometimes this is as important as the brand, assuming that it's a machine that you like.

I have a Husqvarna Viking Husqvarna Viking 1 which is also an embroidery machine and love, love, love it! It has Needle up/down, sews very straight stitches, has all kinds of fancy stitches, on board bobbin winder, and it even beeps when your bobbin is empty. It is very quiet too. I bought it on ebay for $700 and had it professionally cleaned at JoAnn's. They said it was very well taken care of. I can't think of anything I don't like about it. The Husqvarna is a workhorse just like they advertise! I don't quilt with it though because I have a longarm. But it does sew through the thickest of fabrics, leather, jeans, you name it!

I have an Elna 7200 Pro Quilter's Dream. I bought it in 2006 for $1399 from a dealer. At the time I bought it, I was wanting to buy a Janome mc6500 but the dealers didn't know much about and weren't very helpful. My Elna was made by Janome for Elna so it is very similar and my dealer was actually using one to make a quilt when I walked in the door.

It has a 9" throat, knee lifter, thread cutter, needle threader, start/stop button, independent bobbin winder and hundreds of stitches including an alphabet or 2. It's much quieter than my other 2 machines.

If I were going to buy another machine today, I would compare the 11" machines--Janome Horizon 7700 and the Elna eXcellence. If those are out of my budget--I would then look at the 9" machines--Janome mc6600, Elna 7300, Babylock Serenade or Quest Plus, and the Viking Sapphire 875/855/835. I can't tell much about the computerized Juki domestic machines but if I had a dealer nearby--I'd include Exceed HZL-F600 & 400 machines in my research.

I have a Pfaff 2144 with all the upgrades so it's equal to the Pfaff 2170. I love the duel feed, needle down, being able to program the presser foot to raise automatically, the tread cutter, the embroider unit...I could go on and on. I have had Pfaff for about 17 years now and won't have anything else. I have a great dealer and dealer support is a big thing with the high end machines. The dealer will help you learn to use the machine to its fullest. I have not run out of things to learn yet! I paid about $6000 for the machine and the embroidery unit. It was money well spent. I have a Pfaff 7550 and a Pfaff serger, too. All I have ever done to any my machines is regular maintainence and that is a yearly cleaning. These machines are designed to be a workhorse and they are wonderful! When I worked at the LQS, we had Husquvarna Viking machines to use there. While the Husquvarna is a good machine, I still prefer my Pfaff. You just can't beat duel feed (IDT).

Embroidery Machine - Janome 11000 (love it)
The Great Work Horse - Janome 7500 (Wish it had an auto thread cutter.)
Specifically for Quilting - Janome 1600P QC - Most recent purchase right around $1,000. Pros: Has 9" throat space. Auto thread cutter. Love the cloth guide to control seam width. Side bobbin. Note: It only does a straight stitch but I bought it for FMQ so I don't care. My 2 other machines have all the stitches I could ever want.
Light weight Janome (12 lbs.) and a Janome Serger. I have found Janome to have the best $. Good luck in your search.

I have two Pfaff's- I love them. I like the walking foot (IDT) a lot. I have an older one, can't remember the model number and I think the other one that came with an embroidery unit is 7550.

I have a Pfaff quilt expressions 2044 and a Bernina 380. I love them both. The Pfaff is a few years old, what I love most about it are the IDT, needle up down, and some of the stitches I could just not live without at this point! It also has a low bobbin sensor, very useful! It was about $1600 going on 9 years ago. The Bernina was about $1700 about 3.5 months ago. Just got the walking foot for it and love it though I hate taking it off and on, it works beautifully! I love the way the bobbin winds, and of course it has needle up down. What I do not like about Pfaff is the service here. 6 weeks to get serviced!!! I never took any of the free classes with it because I was uncomfortable with the people in the store. They were not very friendly. Bernina on the other hand, I just can't stay away from that place! I am taking every free class they offer. Plus you get 10% off on fabric for a year! I very much love both machines and if I had it to do over, I would have to go with Bernina. Not because the machine is better but it comes with better friendlier service! I also have a Singer from the 60's. It is very basic and I barely use it. Too many nice features on the others that I can't live without these days!

I have a Pfaff Expression 2.0. I have had it since Christmas last year. I paid $1650. for it, but that includes tax. My older machine had been a New Home, and, even though I really liked it, I had no idea there were so many new things on a sewing machine that I would love.

I love the needle threader, the walking foot, the see through bobbin cover, the fact that the bobbin can only fit in one way so I never get it in backwards, the wider space where I can quilt more comfortably, the instruction manual which has answered ever question I have had so far, and much more.

I like everything about it, even the color, which matches my Mac laptop which slides under my sewing machine on a shelf when not in use.

I really fought getting a new machine, but my husband was insistent, and I have never regretted having it.

Okay...you can all laugh if you want to. LOL I couldn't resist commenting on this post.

I have a brother XL2600 we bought at Walmart back in 2006. We paid $139.00.
I love it. Its been good to me. It doesn't have a blanket stitch and that is the only thing I do not like about it. But at the time, I had no clue what a blanket stitch was.

But it does have a needle threader...oh my gosh....next machine I get WILL HAVE ONE of them. Plus this has a drop in bobbin I guess is what you call it.

Shes been a good Bertha!!! And I hope that she lives to the ripe old age of 50 LOL.

I have an Elna 7200 Quilter's Dream, along with quite a few others, but this is my main machine.

I love everything about it, but do wish it had at least a 15" harp. LOL Really LOVE the scissors.

I paid $1000 for it several years ago. It was a trade in.

I love mine too, it was my gift to myself for working hard last year.

My answer to # 3.) What you don't love about it - I would like a sensor on the bobbin, to let me know when it was close to empty.

If you are just looking for a machine to quilt and straight stitch with, then I suggest a Juki TL98Q. About $800.

I have a Bernina 640 emb/sewing combo. Got a super deal on it (brand new) because I had a trade in and Bernina was offering a special and so was my shop at the time! They run about $6,000 but I didn't pay that.

The bad thing about Bernina's is that only a Bernina tech can work on it if you want you warranty to stay good. Bernina shops are hard to find. Luckily I have one close by but they are soooo slow at ordering but do have a good tech who is certified to work on Bernina's.

Also Bernina feet are EXPENSIVE!!

I heard babylock & brother are good machines. Good luck with your search.

I have a friend that constantly buys and sells machines. She sold me her Sapphire 870 Q at a huge discount because she just didn't think it was the machine for her. I LOVE IT!

There is one machine that she won't part with, her Husquavarna SE. If you knew how often she buys and sells, about 3-5 a year, then you would understand how great this machine must be!

Oops its a Viking 1+ machine

I have this exact same machine and I do love it. I can't begin to name all the great things about it. I bought it new in '06 for $1400.

Melody

I have a Bernina 1090. My sister bought it for me in 1994 or 1995. I love it!! Never had ANY problem with it. Yes it was expensive, but most of the time you get what you pay for.

If my memory serves me, she paid about $1500 for it. I would never have another brand except Bernina unless it was another Singer featherweight!

Good luck in your search.

I've got a new Janome embroidery/sewing machine and it is wonderful and so easy to use. I paid $1500 and felt I got my money for it. It is interchangeable with the Elna, which I also have and they are really worth the money. I also have a small Janome Gem, and the only problem I have with that machine, it works too good. Goes faster than I do. LOL

1.) What machine you have
A-Pfaff 7570 (embroidery, but only do my piecing on it now),
B-Brother 2003D which I only do embroidery with.
C-1941 Featherweight
2.) What you love about it
A-the IDT--dual feed and some of the fancy stitches are my favorite.
B-never use it for piecing, just the embroidery in the blocks
C-the stitches are fantastic, easy to transport
3.) What you don't love about it
A-heavy, afraid computer board will fry and they don't make them any more.
B-takes up to much space....
C-nothing...
4.) How much you paid for it
A-Pfaff 7570 can be picked up between $750.00 and $1200.00. now. New they were about $5000.00
B-Second hand $500.00 because person had a Rose that she loved.
C-$100.00 for just the machine.

The best way to figure out what machine to get is to know what you want in features. Do you want scissors on the machine? How about needle down? Lots of fancy stitches or a straight stitch? Large throat? Needle threader? Walking foot--foot or built in walking foot? Low bobbin sensor? Easy button hole feature? Start stop button independent of the pressure foot?

If my Pfaff 7570 dies I will pick up another machine with the IDT (dual feed) machine. I really won't care if it is a Pfaff or a Janome. I never use all of the stitches that are on this machine, so I would only require a few. I would also like to have the built in scissors.

Good luck with your search. I know how hard it is to find just the right machine, but after you get your new baby home you will fall in love just like we all have.

Babylock Espire(now Symphony)
What I love about it
1.pivoting feature(presser foot raises when sewing is stopped with needle down, you can pivot fabric where you like it, just press foot pedal, presser foot automatically lowers and starts sewing again)
2. knee lifter
3. sewing without foot pedal can be done
4. AHA-automatic height adjuster( automatically detects fabric thickness for perfect tension during sewing so you get nice even stitches)
5. lots of accessories including 3 FMQ feet, straight stitch needle plate, large quilting table, cone thread stand, and a walking foot
6. lots of decorative stitches & satin stitches
7. automatic thread cutter
8. Super easy needle threader( I swear a kid could do it)
9. bobbin winder super easy
10. stitches beautifully
11. very user friendly(directions are even on the LCD for threading and such if you don't want to get your manual out)
12. sews thick fabrics well
13. lots of work space
14. sews quietly
15. Low bobbin indicator(will let you know before you run out))
16. can save stitch patterns
17. can lock the screen so while your sewing someone can't change the stitch on accident
18. never had any tension issues
19. fabric does not get sucked into needle plate like on my other machine( has 7 point feed dogs for more accurate sewing)
20. sure there's more but only had it for a little over a year

What I don't love about it
the only thing i can think of is the lighting could be brighter, but i have an ott-lite so not an issue here, other than that not much of anything

Price paid 1800 for the machine at a dealer -came with free classes, was a quilt show model so got a good deal, barely used

watch out that a pfaff is made in europe not asia----too many bad reports----i was a pfaff tragic but wavering to wards the horizon good reports about that one

I am getting ready to buy the Horizon this week end. It was used in a class that I took and I love it. Not sure how much it is but around 3000.00

Bernina 830
It does everything I need and then somw. It goes sideways, Best embroidery unit ever! My quilts look terrific. I had a quilt shop owner tell me there would be a difference, I thought she was joking. She was right. Spend the extra money. It is worth it I promise.
With all the whistles and bells, excluding quilt frames, I spend $10,328.68. (Breathe)

I have a Viking Platinum and love it. Granted, I don't do FMQ so the throat space was not an issue for me. I does have needle/up down, lots of embroidery stitches which, again, I don't really use. It is a workhorse and very sturdy which is what I was looking for. I do know they have a couple of newer models with larger throat space as well as the auto up/down foot. I paid about $1200 for mine when it was retailing for close to $2000 at the time. The Viking dealer by me will almost always discount to this level. Not sure if there are always 'promotions' going on or if there is just that much mark up. But I am very happy with my Viking. I agree the Bernina's are nice machines but way out of my price range for the must have's I was looking for at the time.

I have a Singer. I love it! It is simple - it has embroidery on it - not complicated - easy to keep clean - Mine is the Singer Precision - 7444. I got it on sale at Target - I paid $214.49. I have had it for almost two years now, have made about twelve quilts, different sizes - sewed other stuff - am very happy with it. There is nothing I don't like about it. It does what I tell it to do and the rest is up to me. My other sewing machine was a used White that my husband got me for our first anniversary 50 years ago, so I cannot complain about either of my machines. Specially the White. I can still use it, it is just slower than the Singer. We don't have the money to fork out on a machine that will basically do the same thing my Singer does. I bought a case for it and couldn't be more pleased. Hope that helps! Edie

My advice... go in like you would shopping for a car. Meander and look around without buying. Act like you were thinking about buying but not sure. All of a sudden the dealer will talk about throwing in extras or cutting the price. I called a dealer about an embroidery machine. he said $800. I said I was just pricing them and would call back when I saved some money towards it. All of a sudden, he cut $150 off the price. It was a miracle. LOL

"Test drive" all machines available and choose the one that seems to fit your sewing style. Consider service, too, because if something goes wrong you won't want to drive miles and miles to take it in/pick it up. That said, I ended up with a Viking Rose about 10 years ago and I love it although I rarely use the embroidery features. I Also have a Viking 100 that is 22 years old that's a good backup. We now have a reliable dealer of other brands available locally but didn't when I bought the Rose. Although many love their Berninas, we don't have a local dealer and I didn't like the way I couldn't rely on it to continue in a straight line toward the end of every seam.

I have a Brother Innov'is 4000D which I love. Before that I had a Pfaff which was one of the best machines I've ever had. When I had to get a new machine after lightening blew up my Pfaff, I went with the brother because it had so many features I wanted.

I LOVE my Juki 98TLQ. If all you want is a machine for piecing and free motion quilting, this is perfect. It only sews a straight stitch, but does it so beautifully and you never have to fuss with the tension unless you change the weight of your thread.The longer throat arm makes FMQ easier.
We paid $699. on ebay about 7 years ago. The only thing I wish is that it were lighter when I take it to classes. (I use a roller bag to transport it)

Bernina Patchwork edition 140 11 years ago, about $1,100 and it has never had a breakdown, it always meets my sewing needs. Is heavy but occ take it places not into too many classes so nothing I don't love about it.