Need help deciding on machine...
 

Hello everyone! I am new here. I have been lurking for awhile trying to make a decision. I am more than open to suggestions. I am a beginner to intermediate sewer and I am just starting to learn quilting. I currently have a Singer 5050c which I will be keeping as a backup machine. I am looking for a computerized machine under $400. The main qualities I am looking for is a decent sized harp, auto threading, auto tension, needle up/down, and a decent amount of stictches. Anything else is gravy or I can live without.

My current forerunner is the DC 3050 by Janome. I have also been looking at the Janome 7330/8077, Brother CS6000i, Brother HC1850, and Singer 9960. Please feel free to steer me in a direction I have not been looking at.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

I would go to a local quilt show where many dealers will have numerous machines set up for you to give a trip around the blcoks. You need to test drive them to see what suits you and your budget. I bought my Bernina 1530 over 15 years ago and have never regretted that purchase. Skip the Singer.

I agree with ManiacQuilter2, if you don't have a quilt show coming up go to the dealers. Leave all your money and credit cards at home because you want to test several before making a decision. (I am horrible with impulse buying so that is why I say leave your money at home.) I bought my Janome MC 6600P when I went to my local dealer which is also the largest quilt shop in San Diego county and it did all I wanted and more, and they did not try to sell me more than I wanted. It was on sale because they were making room for the new models so I felt confident it getting it. I bought it before belonging to the QB and didn't have any friends that sewed. I wanted the lessons that came with a new machine too.

If you have the time pre-shop all brands of machines available in your area. Add this to going to a quilt expo or such and you will have more knowledge. Then the bonus is that on the last day of any quilt expo or large show dealers often will give you great deals rather than take the machines back to the stores.

Ditto what she said and welcome to the board

Take a look at the Juki line if you have a local store nearby.

Thank you all for the suggestions! I did go to a few local stores and there is one model I am looking at. A pre owned Baby Lock. The Janome dealer didn't have a 6600 and that was a model I really wanted to see.

Keep visiting when possible, test driving machines until you find ( The One) you love. Buying a machine is like buying a car-- try out as many as you can. We are all different with different likjes/ dislikes. Find the one You like. All you mentioned are good machines, plus many more

I will discuss the Janome 3050 since I own that one. It does NOT have needle up and down. It is a 3/4 machine. It does NOT have a large harp. I would never try to "quilt" a quilt top on my 3050. I did not buy it for that purpose. It is an older model and Amazon had it for $449.00 the last time I looked. They do not have any on Amazon at this time and they are not sure if they will have. Probably discontinued. I paid $499.00 for mine in 2006. It is computerized. I love my 3050 but it is my portable machine to take on vacation or to class. It is great for piecing/sewing.

You will not find a large harp in your price range. My everyday machine is my Janome 9900. I do use the embroidery once in a while but I mostly sew on it. MSRP is $4,999.00.

Now, my next opinion has to do with "go to a large show". If you do NOT do your homework before you get to the show, you may NOT get that infamous "deal" on a machine. The top machine dealers vend at shows and they know how to sell machines. You are all excited and they can read you. ( you had better know general pricing, features, bring your list of which machine you are TRULY interested in because you did a lot of research online, on vendor websites, read reviews, compared/listed features, etc. asked friends....) honestly, I bought a serger at a huge show and my regret was that I did NOT know pricing beforehand. Did I get a "deal"? To this day I am not sure. It does not matter because my seger was shipped from their store that same day. Too late to back out of the deal. I like my serger but rarely use it. My bad.

What I did NOT get was a local dealer for support, classes, one on one instruction, etc. You will not get a lot of time to just play on a machine at a show...IMHO. if these things do not interest you then go shopping at a show. Frankly, I feel bad that I did not work with a local shop.

Buying a machine is like buying a car. Go to vendor sites and start making comparisons. Go into shops armed with info. Expect to make compromises from one machine to another. Best of success in shopping!

sandy

The JANOME 6600 is a great machine, SO IS THE 8900....I have both and love how they sew and free motion.