I love my Janome 6600! No complaints at all. Once you learn how to switch to the Accufeed feet, it goes fast. I have had no problems with the thread jumping out of the take up lever or acceleration of the foot pedal. It is a real gem!

I have had the Janome 6600 for about seven years (or whenever they first came out), and I love it. It died this spring and I thought I was going to have to buy another one. My DH did the research and bought me a Viking 875. It is a beautiful and expensive machine, but, it wasn't my Janome. I sewed with it for about a month and finally found someone to look at my Janome. A hundred dollars later, she was cleaned and serviced and had two fuses replaced. So which machine am I using now...My Janome. The poor Viking is sitting on the shelf waiting for her turn. I love my Janome.

Hats off to you for doing your homework before buying! It's alot of work but will payoff in the end.
I have Janome's and love them. I need to start seriously looking for a machine for quilting,
need more throat space. I will be watching this threat.

Good luck in you shopping :)

I have one and love it, I debated for a year on getting it and finally my husband ordered it for me, I think he got tired of me talking about it. It is a workhorse and I have not had any issues with it. IMHO it is great machine.

I find this amusing because it also costs the same as buying a small car! I would like to buy a new one as my machine died. To buy the equivalent machine is $13,000.00 plus $2,500 for software, let alone the 'optionals'.I think there may be a revival of hand sewing in this house.

There's a search feature above and there have been a lot of threads about this machine. Good luck.

I have had one for a year now and love it. My machine came with classes which was a giant help and made it so much better. My other machines are 50 years and older.

thank you for your suggetion, I live in Maine and am going to a Janome dealer this afternoon to get a demo. The Janome dealer is only about 20 minutes from my home whereas, the Bernina and Pfaff dealers are more than an hour.

Isn't the elna excellence just the horizon, I think they are made by the same company if I am not correct

Well, just like buying a car, you should test drive the ones that interest you the most. If you don't, you will be sad later on.