We had a dealer here locally who decided to down-size his business (he had several shops) and closed his store. What is particularly frustrating is trying to arrange for repairs and service on the Pfaff machines. Sewing machine repair persons cannot obtain parts for the Pfaff machines (Pfaff policy is to supply parts to authorized dealers only) nor is the Pfaff warranty good if any unauthorized persons work on the machine. This is certainly not good business practice and I've complained to Pfaff personally, but got no satisfaction from them.

POINT OF CLARIFICATION HERE - Vikings are NOT sold @ Joann's - they are sold at Company-owned (not independent) dealerships that rents space inside many of the larger Joann's store locations. There is absolutely NO CONNECTION- other than renting space within their space - between Joann's and the Viking Company Stores.

Vikings and Pfaff machines are sold by both independent dealers ( the LQS that sell these machines - sometimes with other brands as well) and corporate stores (those that rent the space within the Joann's stores.

I too am a bit dismayed that the TOL machines are no longer manufactured in Europe. The quality control on the machines coming out of China is far less than on the machines that were produced in Europe. It seems that all of the machine owners and manufacturers are going thru cost cutting exercises right now.........I have not found one yet that has not done something along these lines in the last 6 years or so............We just have to be careful in spending our dollars and doing our research first. If you want to be more certain that your Viking or Pfaff dealer will be there long term, you may want to look for a company-owned store.

Hope this helps.

My local sewing repair man told me quite some time ago that Singer bought those companies and they will now all be made in China, Is it true? Who knows!!!, Sure glad I have a Bernina although I have to travel 200 miles to my dealer, there is no dealer in this town,but 2 quilt shops, It is either Flagstaff or Las Vegas, so I go toFlagstaff, I can order any thing I need with one telephone call, :thumbup:

Hehe. This is how I read the above. Blah,blah, blah, schmooze, schmooze, blah, blah... cheaper in China, thank Swedes now we're outa here, blah blah blah. We'll be moving everything to China, cheaper product...blah, blah...... junk.





:lol: :lol: :lol:

The Viking section at JoAnn is a vendor who leases space there.
JoAnn has no interest in selling machines except for very low-end products. They don't even set any up to be tried out by prospective customers. Too costly to have staff spend time explaining the product.

This is good informaton to know. I took my Sears Kenmore machine in for repair and they LOST it. I will need to buy something new. They offered me a "comparable" machine, ha!
I don't know what to get, this was my husband's wedding gift to me, 30 years ago. I am heartbroken over it.

I have a Bernina 930 Electronic that I have been advised to keep at all cost. It is a work horse. However, I have just purchased a Brother CS6000i for using in class. It is much lighter than my Bernina. I do not ever intend to buy another Singer. All the gears are plastic and you know what that means. Singer use to be the standard but it has certainly come down hill in the last few years. I have been sewing for some 60 years and have a degree in Home Economics. Hopefully Bernina will not send their products to China. That would be a dredful shame!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kiki Myers in NC

Unbelievable.

I had Pfaffs for 30 years (3) and just traded by 5 year old pfaff (china) for a Brothers Inovis QC1000. I traded because a major part bent and it is hard to find original replacement parts. I know we lost one Pfaff dearler in the area and really find very few around anymore. Really is sad as I really liked my Pfaff! I still have one that is about 20 years ond (actually it is my daughters now and we are holding on to that one as long as possible.

Well Pfaffs were not made in Sweden.....

My Pfaff dealer closed due to the fact that she wanted to move out of retail. If I had known she was going close her business two years after I purchased my machine, I would have traveled the 60 miles to where I know I could get a Janome and traded in my New Home Memory Craft 6000. I like my Pfaff a lot, but am bummed because there is nowhere I can purchase bobbins or other accessories...

My Bernina 440 is 3 yrs old in Dec.I also have a small machine (mechanical)I intended to use for classes.That never happened, so I just fire it up a couple times a yr for a few days.Hopefully I never have to buy another machine.After reading the comments/info on this thread,will keep fingers crossed for sure.

Looks like all we can do when buying new is go with a good dealer, but who knows how long any dealer will be around.The day we have to call a foreign country for sewing machine repair (as we did with 1st computer) is the day DH will become a machine repairman. LOL

Whoa. I'd have a hard time keeping my temper in a situation like this. I hope they offer you something you can live with.

Whaaaat? How can they "lose" a sewing machine? I would think you'd need to start at the top,before even talking to a local clerk.Losing your DH's wedding gift is awful! Don't think they could ever make it right, but do hope you get another macine.Please let us know how it goes.I'm sorry that happened to you.

Our Joann's here do not sell Vikings. Only Singers/Whites.

This SVP merger is NOT new, it happened a few years ago. Pfaffs have not been made IN Germany for years now. Pfaff has even stopped manuf. in Czechoslavakia. Some Pfaff models were made in Sweden after Viking bought Pfaff, but did not continue. Our dealer told us that all Pfaffs are made in China now. They've had so many problems with the Expressions 2.0-4.0 models that came out last year. My SIL bought the 3.0 and it has been in for repairs most of the last year
So much for the German (& Viking) engineering !! I'm hanging on to my older Pfaff. I fear their quality will never be the same ... :(

I really don't think that where they are made is of consequence. I think what DOES make a differece is quality control. Anyone else feel this way?

I have a Pfaff top of the line 7440 or some-such. I have a Janome 11000 also. I MUCH prefer the Janome. It is much more user friendly. I'm sad too to see Pfaff go by way of China for mfg. Where's our pride in "American Made"? I've had Elna machines in the past and they come right off the same line as Janome...one owns the other...and it was/is a great machine too.

Actually, Pfaffs WERE made in Sweden - after Viking bought Pfaff out. Pfaffs have not been made in Germany for years now. Some Pfaff models were also made in Czech. but no longer.
Pfaff initially had their top of the line Expression 2.0/3.0/4.0 models made in Sweden, but then moved it to China - and THAT'S when they started having massive quality problems with that line.

The Viking's being sold at JoAnn stores are not sold by JoAnn's. They are sold by a dealership leasing space within the JoAnn store. They have their own sales, which are totally separate from JoAnn's.

Babylock which is made by Brother is made in Japan. I have the 2003ult and the Pr600 and they were made in Japan. Look on the back of your machine, or some location on the machine and it should say where it was made.

Suzy

Didn't know that. I think mine were still make in good old Deutschland.

I also like my vikings. I have had my viking #1 for close to 20 years now, and for the 1st time in all those years took it in for a clean and check and mentioned that the foot control was hesitating more and more. He ran a check and said he had never seen that before. Well, they said it was the mother board and motor and if they could find those parts it would cost close to 750.00. I said that machine doesn't owe me a penny and I will take it home to die with me. Problem is they no longer make parts for those machines. They were and are workhorses. I believe they are following the system of our throw away society today. If it breaks throw it away and buy new. Which is not always better. Remember, I do still like my vikings.

Suzy

Sorry if my reply was confusing, I meant that after Viking bought /merged with Pfaff about 10 years ago Pfaffs were then made in Sweden (also some in Czech. etc)
If you have a Pfaff that's more than 10 yrs old, those were made in Germany.

I wonder what sewing machines are made in the USA anymore? Anyone know?

I don't think any sewing machines are made in the USA anymore.

Melinda, I think many people care about the WHERE sewing machines are made. I really try to stay away from anything made in China due to all the health issues of products that have come from there. Let alone the thousands of people who lost pets poisoned from chemicals from China. And of course, lets not forget the labor issues they have there-people in sweat shop working conditions, child labor etc. So, yes I think as humans we care about this. Does it make me perfect? No, I still buy products made in China-at this point it's almost impossible not to. But, given the info. ahead of time consumers can decide. Personally, if I liked 2 machines and one was made in China, I'd go for the other one.

Unfortunetly, most things are made in China now adays. Do I like it? No... but if I need to buy something, I don't have alot to choose from. And yes, I made me very angry over the pet food disaster. I have many pets, who in reality are my *children*.

But as far as buying sewing machines, if you want a new, modern machine, most are made in Asia. Thank you NAFTA, they put alot of American companies out of business. Anyone wanting an American made machine is going to have to go with a vintage machine. I have 2 in my stable. An 1896 Singer Treadle and a Singer Rockateer. Both say made in USA. Both aare vintage.

The thing is about buying Asian made machines is quality control. There are many good machines made overseas, also many are junk.

Which is another reason I am now a babylock girl. Their QC is excellent. JMO

Like dominos the sewing machine manufacturers are outsourcing to Asia. It USED to be that we could buy good, German, Swedish or Swiss engineering. Then Pfaff and Viking outsourced and it looks like Bernina is starting to follow the crowd. It's very, very sad.

LOL, which is why I still hang on to my Pfaff 7570. It doesn't have the bells and whistles the newer machines have, but at least it is German made. The very last series. I will not be buying another Pfaff as it is just not the same quality machine. Hence, my change to Babylock.

This is hard to believe as Husqvarna has a HUGE factory in Sweden.

R U sure they aren't building chain saws there?

I found sewing machine info saying Brother....who makes Baby Lock,has their machines made mostly in Taiwan.

Still wonder where owners are supposed to find parts.Maybe that's the point? no parts. Guess we can't win.

Well, authorized dealers would be able to get the parts. The issue comes when these authorized dealers are dropped!

I re-read the statement issued by my dealer today. In it they say they were one of the top selling dealers of Viking and Pfaff in the country. Yet, they were dropped by SVP.

I guess we should keep our older machines and take care of them. I have a Pfaff 2046 and a Bernina 1090 and 1230. The Bernina's are older but they can reallyyyyy sew. I know my Pfaff dealer said he is having a tough time with the economy the way it is right now. Because the quality of the Phaff has gone down hill he is hoping customer's will switch to the Janome that he now carries. I hate seeing all these dealer's having so many problems...it's sad.

My Pfaff is about 35 yrs old and is a fabulous machine, heavy as can be.

Our local dealer here in Oregon City for Brother Janome, and Bernina (also has Pfaffs) indicates that about every 5 years a new contract is up for bid and the lowest price wins so every 5 years you may get a different country making most machines. As far as any made here in the USA, I can't think of any!

And why is this?? Could it be that the labor costs have become so high, demands so great for "more" that American companies cannot compete with the cheap labor overseas? Maybe we only have ourselves to blame for this. Now we have MANY people out of work and we need to take a good look at this and see what our part is in this.

As Candace pointed out, many machines are outsourced, so the argument that we "only" use American or we "only" buy European machines holds no water. There are some really great machines made in China, Taiwan, or where-ever that are high quality and make our quilter hearts soar.

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I don't mind Taiwan, but I won't if I can get away with it buy Chinese. I won't support their government. Nor do I care with all the hubbub of lead poisoning trust their safety standards.

And we won't be able to compete, when the government itself subsidizes so they get manufacturers over there. The only way this will stop is if we as consumers put our foot down(which will in the short term cost jobs) and say Heck no we won't pay for this..

I'm curious as to what the marketing strategy is for SVP to cancel contracts with US top selling vendors. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

I'm going to start another thread about long arm manufacturing.