Pfaff machines
 

Can anyone give me a suggestion for buying a good medium priced ($400 to $450) Pfaff machine? I like the IDT system and would like to try a Pfaff. If anyone has used a Pfaff, what model to you have?

I have a Pfaff passport 2.0. It has problems. It sometimes will not stitch at all even though all the lights are on, and I can change settings. Then sometimes, if I have it plugged in, it will start stitching, all by itself, no help from me. This is at full speed; will not respond to any thing I do to turn it off except pulling the plug. I have had it serviced, it behaved nicely while in the shop. This machine may be a real possessed lemon. Other friends of mine love their Pfaffs. When it does behave, it is OK. Now I think the Pfaff passports are an economy line and really doesn't have the quality of a mid to upper line of Pfaffs.

I have had a Pfaff machine for over 25 years and never had a problem. You will love the IDT. Talk to a dealer. They may have a refurbished machine so you can get more for your money that way. I have owned several models and each time traded up to a more advanced one. I highly recommend them.

I have a Pfaff Ambition Essential ($600) that I bought about 5 years ago, and a Janome that cost over $2000. The only time I use the Janome is when I'm paper piecing for the automatic thread cutter. I love my Pfaff , never had a problem.

I love and own 3 Pfaff machines. I use the Amibition 155 for everyday piecing and quilting. I like it best b/c it holds 2x’s more bobbin thread. I use one for travel and the third one for home. I have owned/ used a total of 4 Pfaff machines over 30 years. The 1st one wore out after 20+ years. Plus parts weren’t available. No issues with any of my machines and they are very user friendly. I also do FMQ with all three machines.

I have an older 7570 and an older yet non-computer 939 model and love both of them for quilting/sewing. I got my 939 from ebay.

OK, I'll stay away from the 2.0 - ha ha. Hope it starts behaving soon!

Thanks for all your replies and info. I'm going to a Pfaff dealer this soon and see what I can find, possibly refurbished at a better price than brand new. Your info is so helpful, thanks!

well, I think I really do have a possessed lemon. Some folks love their passport 2.0 others are with me. It was a very economical Pfaff as far as Pfaffs go and lots of people got them for going to classes and retreats because it is a small, lighter machine.

You're not the only one. I've seen a number of complaints about the Passport (and its Singer twin) over the years.

The other Pfaff's have a much better track record.

So here is my list - I started with a 2054 then bought a 2170, then a Creative 2..0 and now a Creative Performance. The 2170 has moved to my daughter, the 2054 is my backup , the 2.0 is sadly living under the long arm and I love the Performance. Here is the truth - I sold Vikings when I bought the 2054 and my boss was really put out. I had been looking at a D1 but got such a great price on the 2054 that I went for it and NEVER looked back lol.

The older machines are workhorses. I love my 2,0 (which is why it still sits on the floor) and the 2054 is a wonderful machine that goes to quilt retreats with me while the Performance is my daily machine. I am sad that someone has directed you away from the 2.0 Passport but never had any experience with that one who knows. There can be lemons in any line. If you can find a Creative 2.0 or similar model go for it imho. My daughter loves the 2170 (it has embroidery) but the harp on the Creative 2.0 and Performance series is much larger than in the 2054 and 2170 which is why I moved on.

If you can find a used one at a dealer that might be your best bet - but I will add here that the last three I purchased were off a local Craigs list. I would purchase another one in a heart beat - I love them.

Good luck in your search




I have a Pfaff Performance 5.2. It is not computerized. I got it as the model was being discontinued and it had been returned to the store after less than 10 hours of use. Got it at half the original price. A good solid machine that has not given me any problems in four years of use. I chose this model because it had a larger harp. It has made a big difference in my ability to do my own quilting.

When your money is short, look for a gently used machine and one that can be serviced locally.

Our first Pfaff purchase was a new Expression 2038 around 2009. Excellent machine. Not a ton of bells and whistles, but has several stitches and one (or maybe two) alphabet. Most importantly, it does have IDT. This machine was made in Eastern Europe before Pfaff sold out to the parent company of Singer. This was my wife’s machine until she upgraded.

Next purchase was a used 1475CD purchased around 2010 from a Pfaff dealer. It was made in Germany, probably in the early 1990’s. I paid $300 or $400 for it and it has been an excellent machine also. It has more stitches and alphabets than the 2038. It also has a low bobbin indicator.

Next purchase was a Hobby 1200 GrandQuilter. We only ever used it to quilt on a frame. It was straight stitch only and did NOT have the IDT. It was a semi-industrial machine that could sew 1600 stitches per minute. It was also an excellent machine for its purpose. We traded it for a mid arm machine around 2014.

The latest Pfaff purpose was a new Creative 3.0 around 2017. It has lots of bells & whistles, fonts and alphabets. I don’t remember where it was made, but I think it was made in Eastern Europe. It’s packed away right now or I’d look. This is my wife’s machine, and I’m now using the 2038. The 1475 is still in the stable but doesn’t get a lot of use these days.

We have never had a problem with any of our Pfaffs that required major service. Most of our problems have been self induced and the tech just demonstrated the correct way to do what we wanted and we were golden. I would not hesitate to repurchase any of the machines we’ve had.

My sister went to our dealer last year thinking she couldn’t afford a Pfaff and just wanted to look. She ended up finding a machine that she loved and took it home that day. I think her budget was higher than yours, but definitely under $1,000.

When you see your dealer, ask about trade in machines and consigned machines. You should be able to find something that will work for you.

I currently have a Performance 5.0 and a Passport 2.0 (bought to take to classes) and love both of them. I've never experienced any problem with the Passport 2.0 and have only taken it to dealer for a yearly maintance/cleaning. My first Pfaff was a Select 3.0 and then I purchased an Ambition 1.0 both of which I loved. I traded the Ambition for my Performance 5.0 and gave the Select to my DIL's mother as her machine had quit working and I wasn't using it.

I have a pfaff 1217-19. I love it. model before the 1222 with computer. I would check with Brubaker in Pa. https://brubakerssewing.com/ Great people and works on Pfaff machines. They have refurbished ones and sooooo helpful, even try to help you over the phone fix your problem so you don't have to ship it to them. I had to send mine because it needed a new bushing......

I learned to sew on a Pfaff 230 in the 1950's when I was 10 years old. I have owned many Pfaff's over the years and am now down to just 5 right now, 4 Pfaff 7570's and one 2054 which I had up graded to a 2056. I love, love, love my Pfaff's,

I think whatever brand of machine you get, there can be a "bad" one mixed in. Ask other quilters and then go try them out.
Good luck.

My Singer 328 wore out after 50+ years. I got a new Pfaff Ambition about $600 with steady table. It was a big adjustment but I do love it. There were 3 models and mine is the lowest. The other 2 just have more stitches if I remember right.

The price you listed is for a lower end Pfaff. Don’t do it. Some of their lower end machines don’t have IDT. Consult a Pfaff dealership. I was a Pfaff hard core, but Pfaff isn’t what it used to be. I switched to Bernina.

Pfaff Ambition dropping stitches?
 

Hi,
Has anyone had this problem and figured out how to fix? I have an Ambition 2.0 and I use the Wave Quilting stitch (#67) literally almost every day and it is dropping stitches. No other fancy stitch is doing this.

Thank you for your help.
Cherie

I have a Passport 2.0 for my back up/take to classes machine. I bought it as it was a slightly used machine (the person who had it traded up to a higher level machine), the price was right, it had the stitches I wanted, it is much lighter weight than my Bernina 1230. A couple years later, the Eversewn machines came out, and I may have purchased one of those instead, but I really have had no problems with my Passport and am pleased with it as a secondary machine.

I did just give my Pfaff passport 2.0 away to a new quilter. This is the one I had problems with not stitching although the lights were all on and functioning, and it would sometimes just take off a full speed when I hadn't asked it to and then it wouldn't stop until I pulled the plug. I had it into the repair shop a couple of times and it never misbehaved for them. The last time he said it ran it for an hour after completely cleaning it and he thought maybe the problem was that a piece of dust or thread had lodged on one of the sensors and the machine had been misreading it. I did take it out and stitched on it for a while and no problems. I did explain all this to her and also gave her all the extras I had bought for it. Now, I can't remember, did it come with an extention table? I will have to look around here for one. Does anyone know?

Yes there was an extension table but sold separately.