I'm going to buy a little machine to travel with and take to classes. I've narrowed it to the Janome Jem 760 or the Babylock Audrey. If you have experience with these, please let me know what you think.
Also, can you give me an idea of the price. The closest dealer to me is asking $599 for the Audrey and $499 for the Jem.
If anyone would like to sell a used one, send a PM.
Thanks, Lori

I have the older Janome Jem. It's never given me a problem. The newer ones have more features now. I paid about that much for mine some years ago. It is a tough little machine. I have dropped mine and it has rattled around in a too big a case in the trunk of my car, been used by many different people at classes, and still sews great.

I have the Jem 760 Platinum and I've had it for about four years. I haven't had any problems with it mechanically. I've hauled it all over to different classes and it's been on a lot of road trips with me. Basically, it does it's job pretty well and I've pieced a lot of tops on it when I've been out of town.
I am a little dissapointed with some parts of it. I took it to class on FMQ. We practiced FMQ techniques on small squares and it just did not perform well. It might just be my machine, but it felt that the motor just wasn't quite robust enough for FMQ. At home, I use my bigger Janome if I want to FMQ and this class was my first try with FMQing on the Jem.
Oh-- the cost-- my Jem cost about $450 when I bought it.
One thing to watch out for on the Jems -- A friend of mine bought a Jem at Hancocks (not sure what flavor of Jem it is)and it did not have any kind of light in the machine. So she had to buy an external light to attach it to the machine. So regardless of what you buy, check it out carefully.

If you are interested in used, you might place an ISO ad on SewItsForSale, a yahoo group. I see Audreys and Jems there all the time., often new in the box, unused. One way to choose between these models might be to by brand. If you have other machines that can share feet and accessories, that might be very convenient and thrifty. Good luck!

Mine was the first Jem when it was called a Gem. It didn't have a carrying handle. Be sure the one you buy has a carrying handle but I think all the newer Jems do have them now. Oh, Kenmore portable are the very same as the Janome Jem, cost less too.

I paid two hundred less for the Audry brand new than price you were quoted. It's fine for classes. I got it at a great sale, but price you are quoted is ridiculous for it, wait for major sale if you want one.
However I would have preferred buying a little Janome. But don 't buy the cheapest one they make, the motor has been too small on it(learned this at a class from a teacher who had boughten one) She said buy the next one up from the bottom, the motor is bigger and it can take anything she tried it with. They do have sales periodically on them but not major ones like you would find on an Audry.
Good luck.
Kat

I was given an Audry by a friend of mine who didn't like it.
TIP for threading the Audrey: Be sure to pass the thread to the RIGHT of the metal tension indicator. Several people think the tension doesn't work, but they have it threaded incorrectly-ask me how I know! The threading directions in book are not helpful.

If I were to purchase a machine, I would buy the Janome.
Our quilting group is almost entirely Janome. They really work well with no problems.

I read that the Kenmore 3/4 machine was a Janome product, and it is priced less than you quoted. You might research that, It has a very good rating. I think it is just like the Jem.

i have the jem platinum..love her..work horse!

for the price you quoted, that is the platinum model..

a few of my friends have the 760 gold, $300 i think..they love them too!

Love, Love, Love my Jenome. Before that I loved my Kenmore. I don't think you can go wrong with a Janome.
Sue