Recommended sewing machine of your choice?
 

Looking to up grade my sewing machine I have a Janome and looking to get a better one. Can you tell me what you have and what I should look for. Quilt festival is coming to Houston in a couple of weeks and I want to try them out but what to see what you all think.

Sewing machine preference is pretty subjective. Personally, I'm a Bernina girl. I love my Berninas. That said, many people don't care for them at all. You will probably have to just try a lot of machines out and see which one you like the best. One thing I will say is that IMO Quilt Festival isn't the best place to be trying out a machine. There is a lot of confusion and hustle which, for me, would make it hard to concentrate and decide. I prefer to go to a store where I can quietly try out the machines that I'm interested in.

Whatever you do, decide before hand which features you really want, which don't matter and which ones you just have to have. It will help you narrow down the choices and not get upsold a lot of machine that you don't really want/need.

I love my Janome Magnolia 7330 and I have a Janome 6600 that I also love. You didn't say what Janome you have so I don't know if my are the same as what you have or not

Love my straight stitch only Juki TL98QE and Babylock Jane.

I have a brother dream machine and I love it. My biggest issue with it is size. I didn’t think ahead to needing to take it to classes, it’s a monster to haul around.

Bernina is my very favorite machine.

I love all my Brothers from the dinky mechanical ones up to my PQ 1500. I also have a bunch of nice vintage machines

New Machines
 

I have some Janomes and some Pfaff. I have Pfaff creative 4 sewing and embroidery machine. I am not really in love with it. But I like some of the features. I have an older Janome Craft 6000 that is about 30 to 40 years old and it is a real workhorse but doesn’t have all the new features. I would love a new Janome. Maybe one day. Depending on your budget a moderate price is the Brother machines and I have heard a lot of good things about it.

So subjective isn't it? Juki for me.

What Janome model do you currently have? I purchased a 6600 in 2011 after working on an old Pfaff then I upgraded to an 8900 about 3 years ago but still love my 6600...it is a work horse. I have since purchased a Bernina 770 QE that is now my “go to” machine.

I also think it also depends on your budget. Good luck.

I'm a Bernina girl too but I do have a Janome Gem that I take to workshops only. For me, the Janome is just OK (most people love them) but I still love my Bernina, it is what I use 100% of the time. I purchased it in 1998 and have never had a problem with it. I do make sure that I get it in for a tuneup every year and a half to be sure the calibration is OK. If I was looking now, I would want an automatic needle threader and a larger opening to machine quilt.

Yes, it's a very subjective question - I say 1st: determine your budget, then 2nd: list your 'must have features' (i.e. large harp space, auto thread cutter, auto needle threader, certain stitches, etc..) and then test drive all of the machines in your price range that meet your budget and must-have needs and you'll discover the brand/model that feels right to you.

Take your time and enjoy the process - good luck!

Christine

I had a Singer 5830c for 14 years and it was a workhorse, it's still doing well as an occasional use machine with a new owner. I wouldn't buy a new Singer though, it seems the bottom has dropped out of the brand quality-wise. I have a Janome HD3000 that is great and my primary machine is a Juki 2010 straight stitcher. See how much money you've got and what features you want and go from there. It's like a new car or a new bike, what is perfect for you won't be perfect for someone else. Try out as many machines as you can before you buy, I spent months before I bought my Janome trying everything I could.

It sounds like your looking to get a better Janome. If you like the machine/brand you have try some of the other models. I started with a small Janome which was fine, but more of a starter machine and upgraded to a 8900 QCP Memory Craft. I love it. It does more that I use it for (it has a bazillion different stitches) but it is heavier duty and I was specifically looking for a big throat space (11"). No substitute for test driving some other machines. Also decide on the features that are must haves. Good luck!

I love my Janome 8200 . I love the 11" throat, auto thread cutter, programmable stitches, the way it sounds, how intuitive it is, the price tag, the relatively low cost of replacement parts and ease of service. It has a knee lift, which I have not used, but may graduate to. It has an alphabet and numbers which I use to make labels and such.

I almost bought one of these, very nice machine and it was only a tad more than the 2010 at the local dealer.

Agree with a lot that has been posted. I just recently purchased a 2nd machine (Juki HZL-DX5) - which I am currently loving. I have had a Janome before (MC 4300 QC I think it was) and my other machine is an Elna 740 eXcellence (which is the twin to the Janome 7700 I believe). I do like my Elna, but after having test driven some other Janomes prior, I wanted something different. Nothing specific, but I just didn't find myself as wowed by them as I would want to be given the price point on many upgraded machines.

A few features I am loving on my new Juki machine. I love that I have the option to program different functions to happen when I push on the heel of the foot pedal (I have it set to auto-cut the thread). I am loving the box feed, it handles fabrics very well. I don't even need a fabric leader to be sure my machine doesn't eat the corner. I really like the bobbin area (and I don't have to pull up the bobbin thread each time. That said, not pulling up the bobbin thread can cause a small bit of tangle or nesting right at the start). I like the pivot feature on the machine (and I can program my machine so that every time I stop sewing, the presser foot comes up slightly). Love the 1/4" stitch setting (lining my fabric up to the edge of the foot with this stitch setting gives me a perfect scan 1/4" seam). I love that I don't have to push the needle down button when I start sewing. I have it programmed as the default, so once I hit the pedal, down it comes and when I stop sewing it will stay down. Then I tap back on the heel, it auto cuts the thread, needle and presser foot come up. The auto threader is very easy to use and has worked 100% of the time.

That said, of course there are a couple of things I have discovered I don't like as much. Such as the markings on the needle plate being further back. While I love how the bobbin loads and that I don't have to pull that bobbin thread up each time - in theory I kind of do unless I don't mind the little bit of tangle that might or might not happen at the beginning of a seam. The lack of lighting under the harp area (I have ordered strip LED lights and will fix that). I wish it came with the thread stand attached so I can place my thread vertical (again, I can either order one that attaches or one that sits off to the side, or use a coffee cup, etc). It seems that sometimes my thread hangs up using the horizontal thread holder. These are minor nitpicky things (except for the needle plate marking - I just didn't notice that when I test drove this machine).

I would recommend:

1. Decide on must have features
2. Decide on budget
3. Make the rounds of local sewing machine shops and test out different brands/models of machines (I tried above and below what I felt willing to spend - just to know what those extra $$s got me - and I had a little bit of flexibility with my budget, which I did not end up adjusting). There will be some you test drive and you will know it is not the machine for you. That way you can weed out what you know you don't like. This can also help you fine tune what you like and might even change your list of must have features.
4. I have never bought at an expo - but if you are thinking you might - definitely comparison shop before you go, and know what you can get finance wise elsewhere - so you have info to bargain with.

Happy shopping! :o

How much (about) do they go for?

Thank you Yes I was not going to buy there but wanted to hear what they had to say. I can say that Bernina is what I am leaning to the most. Looked at the shop at several new ones just need to compare.

Mine is the small one not sure the model but not the smallest two. It is going to become my traveling machine. Thank you,

Thank you so much for taking all the time and you had some great tips I appreciate. I know it must have a needle threader and auto cutter. Those are interesting features that you can program. Just more to think about.

Big throat is another reason I am looking. Thank you

As others have said, it's very subjective. So much depends on your personal tastes, how you plan to use it, and your budget.

I own 7 machines and by far my favorite is the Brother PQ1500. It's a straight-stitch only, big workhorse. If it ever dies beyond repair I'll immediately replace it. However, you may want decorative stitches, or a smaller machine to lug to classes and retreats, or it may not fit your budget.

I don't know how much it is normally since it seems to vary so much, at the time (2013-14 I think but I'm not sure) it was $1200. I ended up getting the Juki 2010 for $899. I went back and forth a bit but since my other machines are mechanical and simple I decided the simpler machine was the best for me. The 8200 had some really nice stitch options and sewed very smoothly and a larger throat than the 2010

Which Bernina are you considering? (I'm choosing between Bernina 570QE and Janome 6700P and feel confused! They both seem like great machines for my needs.

I was looking for a machine with a larger harp space earlier this year. The new Bernina's were way more money than I wanted to spend so I ended up buying the Juki 2200 QVP Mini. Its a very nice machine and I'm enjoying it. Right now, I'm FMQ'ing a large quilt on it and the large throat spaces makes it so much easier and more enjoyable. No more scrunching the quilt and stuffing it thru the harp to move on to another area.

I purchased a new machine three weeks ago. I went to the shop with my budget in mind, features that I wanted and recommendations from others. Of course there were machines "on sale". Looked at them for the features I wanted. I asked why on sale and found that all three models were being discontinued and new models were to be introduced in the next couple of months. That said, all machines would have all warranties honored. The most advanced (recent) machine of these "sale" machines was outside of my budget. I went home and came back a few days later with a clear head and physically sewed on three machines. When I wavered, I was offered a top end machine that had been gently used and that was only $100 over my budget but it came with warranties, class, all that a new machine had. I bought it. I have enjoyed sewing on my machine, no problems and it really is like new. Moral of my story is to choose what you like but also consider a used machine to allow you to get a better machine. Far too many machines are now in the three thousand dollar and up category and outside of my budget. I got more machine that I expected for about $900 dollars less than a new model of the same machine. Moral #2 take your time. :o

I love my Baby Lock upgraded Ellisimo sewing and embroidery machine. It's been wonderful to have harp space for my quilting needs. Baby lock has a wide range of machines and prices. I also have two old machines that I use often; one is a 1957 Singer 99, and one I take to classes is model 120 Husqvarna. Its date is somewhere in the 60's. New and old, I love them.

The top Babylock models have huge harp space!

In our little sewing group 3 of us just got the Janome 9400 and love it. It is an amazing machine.

I, too, am a Bernina owner, and I have to say, it's the best. I sew, quilt and embroider on my B 790 Plus, and never tire of its features. More importantly, my previous Bernina is still running as smoothly as the day I bought it 14 years ago. I heartily endorse Bernina machines. Go for it!

Like Cashsmom I bought a Juki for fmq. My Bernina is great for everything else. I needed more throat space. It has a lot of nice features and I got mine for less than $900.00. I like having a straight stitch only with the wider throat space.

I seem to be choosing between a Bernina 480 and the juki dx something or other. Talk about comparing apples to oranges. They are way different price points. I want something portable or I’d go for the juki 2010.

You never said what your current Janome model is.....so hard for us Janome gals to make a suggestion on "better one". The better ones have more features as each model comes out....so what machine to you have?

I agree. My favorite machine was purchased from a friend who upgraded to a Gammill.

I have Brother, Janome, Bernina, and Singer. I use to have a Pfaff. I think they all are about the same. My favorite go to machine is my new Eversewn Sparrow 30. It has every feature except embroidery with hoops. I use a Brother 1500 for machine quilting because it has a long harp space. I have the Brother 8500D for embroidery. Featherweight for cuteness. Bernina because it's a classic and Janome for the kids to use. I have a total of 8 machines and they all sew great.

I owned Pfaffs for years, and loved them...still miss them actually. However where I live now...only dealer is a Bernina...Yep, I bought one...nope..I for sure don't think it is better than my Pfaffs! However this is where I live, and your local dealer is your friend.

I still swear by my Singer 401A. I love it still and I bought it in 1958. I has made everything from awnings, car seat covers, and all sorts of home projects. It will do most of what modern machines do, though you must set the controls manually. It has not lost its value, either, as I regularly price them, just to get an idea of what people will pay.

I have an 8200 for about 6 years, but can’t say I love it. I wish I did. Have had trouble with the walking foot, replaced twice. And I’m not hearing anything back from janome.

I am a Pfaffie have 4, 7570's and for my 4H classes I have 4 singer 221's Featherweights. which I also use to take to gild meeting and classes. I like the singers because I can take care of them myself.