I have seen quite a few switch from bernina, they are not for everyone. I used a 5 and 7 series personally didn't care for either but some people love them

Love my BERNINAs I have had several. My favorite has been my 1130. I have sewed on others but always come back to the BERNINA.

i don't think berninas are still manufactured in switzerland.
i tried tracking down accurate information about that last year.
all i could find was that they were assembled somewhere in "Asia."

that does not mean they are no longer a good machine.
that is always going to depend upon whether the brand owners still hold the assemblers to high standards for machines designed with excellent specifications.
for me, personally, i also think the brand owner should pass on their labor savings to the consumer if they have outsourced manufacture of parts and/or assembly.

i have never heard a bernina owner complain about her/his machine.
they brag about them enthusiastically.
they also still have a reputation for holding up for many years.

so, if you can afford a bernina and are most comfortable with that brand you should be able to buy one with confidence. :)

If you want metal parts, Bernina is still a quality machine. I actually like Janome better. I would say when buying a new machine I would go with a brand that can be serviced locally.

The Brother 1500 straight stitch is all metal guts, has large area for quilting, had auto thread cutter, auto threader, knee lift, needle up/down and will sew through denim layers. I do all my quilting on this machine. Last time I looked at a new one it was under $700 at the dealer. Juki has a good straight stitch machine too.

I am a BERNINA gal!

I had a Viking computerized one that was not a good choice for me. It broke down after a couple of years and couldn't be repaired. No one would even look at it. They said it was not worth fixing. I'm using a cheap mechanical Singer now and love it.

I agree with onebyone...I have a Brother PS1500 and that is a workhorse! It only does straight stitch, but that is all I need. It will handle anything. It also has a pin-feed setting that feeds the fabric from the bottom (kind of like a walking foot). I love it and have had it for over 13 years. I'd buy another in a minute if mine ever stopped working.

Thank you everyone for the recommendations. For now, a Bernina 1031 was donated to a local sewing studio and I am the proud/happy owner of it. She's made from metal, weighs a ton, and it's so comforting to have a machine again. I wish I could say thank you to the person who donated it. It's in almost perfect condition, had about ten feet inside an accessories case, a darning attachment, about 20 bobbins, the manual and a machine cover! Only the knee lifter was missing and I found where to purchase one. I'm thrilled. Even when/if I get my new machine, I'll keep her until someone else is in need.

The new "Next Generation" Berninas are pretty awesome! The Bernina 790 is my dream machine. But not in my budget. A lot of Bernina Gals are upgrading to the 570 (about $1899). You can get it with or without embroidery (add $1000). The giant bobbin and built-in dual feed are pretty great. I still like the walking foot much better than the dual feed. But the Jumbo bobbin holds 70% more thread!