Hi. I am in the market to trade in my Pfaff 2054 (about 10 yrs) for a new model by any manufac. I need advise about what you all are happy with.

Thanks!

Love my Bernina 380 that I purchased as a backup for my pfaff 2044. It turned into my main machine! Then I got a Bernina 830LE, it's awesome but the 380 is still my main for piecing. It is so much more responsive to starting and stopping. Depends on what you want your machine to do I guess. Don't trade in the Pfaff though, keep it! :-)

I was doing most of my research on he Bernina 8 series. Good to hear some good features (responsiveness, etc) and that I'm on the right track. Janome wheel totes are so cute though:)

And the husq Viking is so cool too. I'll get a demo of them and BabyLock this week.

I prefer Janome over any other brand; however, also like the Babylock machines for ease of use. If you can test a variety at a show or a dealer who sells a variety of models, you should do so to find the one that fits you!

For the money, I love my Brother PC420 Project Runway- needle up/down, knee lift, auto thread cutter, needle threader (a MUST with me!), and so many more stitches that I will probably never use!! But it was only $450.00 on Amazon.com, free shipping and NO sales tax! It also has a 7" throat clearance. It is my second Brother, and my first, though only something like 42 stitches (can't remember), it was a GREAT machine!!

I have a Janome Memory Craft 6600P, and I have had it for 3 years and no complaints....I love the way it grips and holds the fabric in line. It is a heavy machine and I don't tote it around with me...too hard to carry...so I take a different machine to classes with me. I wouldn't give it up or trade it in at this point for anything!

I love my Bernina Artista 630.....its about 3 years old...did have a problem occur, and they fixed it and it cost 0. They said it should not have broken...something with the bobbin and the bottom tension. It is just fine now. I was fortunate to have a good shop to take it to.

Hi, I was in the chat room yesterday and and god several models from other Ladies...........and I found the one that is probly just my donkey (LOL) Singer Futura 400........4 in 1........Sewing, embroidery, quilting, and serger.....I found a great Tutorial on you Tube for it..........a couple in fact......and you may already know this, but any you may be interested in, I would venture to be you could find a tutorial as well...................Look forward to what you pick (meanin I cant wait to see) Happy huntin young Lady

Berninas are expensive to maintain. Must go in shop annually for cleaning to keep up warranty. Feet are ridiculously high. All parts are high. My Janome is 12 years old and never been in the shop. I clean and oil it. Feet are 12. To 15. It is a work horse. And runs circles around my Bernina that is sitting gathering dust.

I have the Viking 875Q and LOVE it! :)

Hoestly my advice is to test them all an find the one htat feels right to you - I love my Viking but have friends who love Jenome and others who love Bernina also I just test drove a babylock and love the stitch quality (saving for a lightweight machine for classes) they are all high quality and great to sew on - but buy one you would feel comfortble with

I LOVE my Bernina 440QE.

I have had a quilters choice by baby lock for the last five years, I really like it, such an improvement over my older machine. Personally I would stay with Baby Lock, the biggest reason being the proximity to the dealer. I do not want to go out of town for machine servicing. It has all of the features I use.

Everyone is different, we all like and want different things from our machines so trying to give advise on this is rather difficult. On that note, I will say that my workhorse machine is my Viking Daisy. It is about 13 years old, very simple..but never once have I had a problem. I also bought a used Viking Designer 1 with many bells and whistles. And while I like it very much, I do not use it as much as I thought I would. Good luck on your search and the best advise is to just go 'test drive' the ones you may be interested in. :)

Best for you to do is go to the different dealers and try out different machines and see what do what you want to do with the machine the best. I am a Bernina lover, but there are other good machines available too...you will be the one using the machine.

I love my Janome. It wasn't cheap, but hasn't given me one day of trouble in the 10 years I've had it. It does everything I need it to do, and I love, love her. Only repairs I've ever had to do is routine stuff.
Sue

There are many threads here on what kind of new machine to buy and loads of opinions! :lol: Since you're looking for a specific machine, do a search for that machine. There are several ladies here who have that machine.

I have several machines, 7 brands, vintage and new, mechanical and computerized. Best is the new Bernina 820. Only drawback to the Bernina 440 is harp space. Baby Lock Quest Plus also fabulous, has a LOT for the $$$. Check out pattern.review.com. Good luck.

Just curious as to why you want to trade in your 2054? I bought a used one (upgraded to a 2056) to try out the IDT, my first Pfaff purchase, and I will never part with it.

That's why I had to minimize the quest. I don't know what I'm looking for and wanted a roundup of favorites.
So I learned Bernina is expensive to accessorize and maintain but is loved, Vikings are workhorses and are awesome, Janomes are the most used here, Brother is on Project Runway which is a good point!

I love my new Pfaff 4.0 quilt expression. I have sewn for over 25 years on a Pfaff and didn't want to give up Pfaff's IDT--love that feature and the accuracy of the Pfaff's stitching tension. Love the new more roomy throat area---10". Good luck deciding!

I have two of these, one I bought for my vaca house which we since sold and the regular one I always use. I'll keep my spare but trade my daily because

1. The threader hook keeps breaking so I gave up and now thread by hand but that doesn't mean that will happen to you :)

2. I saw on a quicky looky-loo that other machines keep their accessory draws elsewhere, sew quieter, different ergonomics, and other superficial reasons.

3. Like getting a new car. Just for a change of pace.

I never used the idt. I dont know how or what it's for. I know I should go into my dealer but it's been 10 years so now I feel too dumb to go to them :)

I never used the idt. I dont know how or what it's for. I know I should go into my dealer but it's been 10 years so now I feel too dumb to go to them :)

I also have a Viking 875Q and love,love,love it. It has all the bells and whistles, and is a fabulous machine

The biggest challenge in looking for a new machine is trying to quite the "noise". I was so confused when I was looking or a new machine earlier this year and the confusion only increased when going into a sewing machine store.

I finally made a list of the features that were important to me, then downloaded the online brochures and features lists which helped me to match what I wanted. I was able to weed out models that wouldn't meet my needs.

When I whittled it down to 3 or 4 models/brands, I went in and sewed on them. At that point, I could decide if I liked the feel of the machine.

For example, I was so ready to just walk in and buy a Viking since I already had one and was feeling a bit of brand loyalty. Until I sewed on it. I didn't like the way it felt to me.

I ended up with a Janome Horizon 7700. The only thing I hate about it is the manual. :)

OMGosh you should try out your IDT for piecing and for quilting, so much more accuracy and no gathering! Just push it down into place and it's the best perk when you have a Pfaff. I've had four and loved them all - traded up to the quilt expression 4.0 last year and it's the very best (sold my 2048 to a friend). IDT, 10" harp, 2 lights, cutter, needle up/down, bigger bobbins, etc. I could go on and on about the stitches. Love it, but you have to take a class!

I upgraded my Pfaff 7570 to the new Babylock Serenade. I love it. Very comparable machine, IMO.

Pfaff's IDT is automatic {integrated dual feed= feeds the top and bottom fabrics together at the same time so you don't have any slippage, particularly with the bottom fabric}--you used it everytime you sewed with your Pfaff Machine!!

I've got the Janome Horizon 7700...love it, and it has the built in dual feed system and an 11" harp area. Worth a look

I never used the idt. I dont know how or what it's for. I know I should go into my dealer but it's been 10 years so now I feel too dumb to go to them :)[/quote]

Pfaff's IDT is automatic {integrated dual feed= feeds the top and bottom fabrics together at the same time so you don't have any slippage, particularly with the bottom fabric}--you used it everytime you sewed with your Pfaff Machine!![/quote]

Just to clarify, the IDT can be pulled up and not used, for example when free motion quilting. So Jill, you may or may not have been using the IDT. It's worth finding out. As Karen said we love that feature. :thumbup:

I've always had Pfaff machines. Pfaff 1475 and 2140, but I just recently purchased a Baby Lock Ellisimo,I love it, especially the air thread feature. It sews really nicely also! Good Luck in choosing! I sure don't regret moving to a different brand. Keeping my 1475 for backup and trying to sell my Pfaff 2140!