The Bernina 830 is better than the Bernina 820. It has the embroidery unit with it. And you can buy the table to quilt your quilts. Then you don't have to buy a long arm.

I have had a Janome Horizon for 2 years and I love it! I have machine quilted ( SID and free-motion) queen size quilts with no problem. If you want to see about quilting on it, you could check this out : Leah Day's take on it (she does not work for Janome) . http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...on-update.html

:) That cute Sweet Sixteen with the magic (to me!) stitch regulator, and a new sewing room, and have excellent lighting installed and counters all around the walls on three sides built in for my other machines. ;) You *DID* say unlimited budget, you did....:)

I have the Janome Horizon 7700 and I absolutely love it. It is so easy to use and has a large throat for fm quilting. Sews like a dream.

IF money (& space) was NO object, I'd buy the Janome Horizon ... and instead of spending a wheelbarrow of $$$$$ for the Bernina 830, I'd invest in a top of the line SR longarm.
The Horizon can do all the piecing and sewing I'd ever want to do, and then I'd have my new longarm for quilting !!

We can dream, can't we ... ??

I would buy a Handi Quilter longarm machine - I have a midarm machine in my quilting frame but you are so restricted on the area you can quilt........Oh well one day..

If money and space were not an issue, I would buy a George sit not quilting machine. It is only for quilting. Since money and space is an issue, I will stick to with my Juki TL98QE and Babyloc Jane Machines, both good for quilting.

This would be my choice too.

I have the viking topaz 30 it has a larger throat and it is not as expensive as bernina

Me too!! Money were no object I would already have had the Ellisimo Gold a year ago when I tested it out at the Quilt Expo in Madison WI. Have the Babylock Ellegante I would need to sell first. But if money were no object, I would most likely 'donate' it to someone in the family who would use it. So far, haven't found that person. Bummer being the only one who sews as much as I do. Then I would aim for a longarm. A simple easy to use one.

I love my Bernina 580, and it pieced and quilted a king size blooming nine on it earlier this year. I've had other Berninas, Singers, and a Viking Rose. The 580 will be with me for a long time. BTW, she's considered a baby 830, but she's a lot less complicated.

IF I really had an unlimited budget, I would buy a small house for my quilting. A couple in my area (yes, he quilts now that he is retired) bought a small house a few doors down just for their machines and supplies. Now, that seems "unlimited".

I'd get a Baby Lock Espire (now a Symphonie) and a HQ Sweet 16 sit-down quilter. Oh, wait, that's exactly what I got. I'm such a lucky girl.

As for the Bernina: I tried it and found it to be about as smooth as a tractor. So no thanks on the Nina for me.

I just got caught in a weaker moment last week and bought myself a birthday present (birthday is in sept.) They had to order it so I waithing, but not patiently, for her arrivial. I got myself a Viking Topaz! I can embrioery till my heart is content. Say a little pray for me that I can learn all the stiuff about this new toy. I have had a Viking Rose for years and really enjoyed it. The new one has so many new gagets on it, like an auto needle threader and auto presser foot that raises when you stop.

I would get the Janome Horizon. I have one and it is perfect for quilting, next to the longarm, which would be JUST for quilting. The Janome does everything except embroidery. The new blue and white Janome does that too.

I would buy the Janome Horizon. I bought a Janome 6600P about a month before the Horizon was introduced. I love the 6600P, but if I had known they were bringing out the Horizon that soon, I would have waited another month. I would love to have the Horizon, but I can't justify trading the 6600P this soon. Maybe in a few years . . .

Just for quilting? Brother pq1500s. Straight stitch only - mechanical, large throat. Nothing fussy. Just sews and sews - powerfully and simply. Complicated quilting with no balking, no thread breaking, excellent stitch. Knocked myself out trying to get my Viking Sapphire 875 to quilt consistently. Tried every thread in the book, every gadget. Sometimes it would, sometimes it just wouldn't. But this simple, very well built straight stitch machine quilts easily with every kind of thread I've tried and doesn't ask for fancy needles either. Of course you need something else for all the bells and whistle stuff. But if you want to quilt well and easily this is your machine. About 600 dollars. Don't have to take it in for servicing, can clean and oil easily myself. (P.S. I do not own stock in Brother. I am just so happy to be able to quilt well that I can't help myself.)

No contest, since I DO have the ABM Innova longarm, that's the one to have for quilting, of course if you are like me you had to figure out a way to pay for it so alas, I am quilting a LOT with the Innova for other people and not getting much piecing done except little snippets of time and then I piece on several different projects, some day I will get them all done and quilted (when I get my Innova paid for) :o

If money is no object and you are looking for a quilting machine...I'd just go for it and get an Innova longarm!!! Oh, geez, that's what I did 4 years ago and have never had buyers remorse. I love quilting on her today as much as I did the first day!!!

For piecing I have a Janome Quilter's Edition and I love it. I have a Bernina Artista I use for embroidery, but I find that the Janome is more user-friendly. That said, I would never want to quilt on either of them!

Buy a solid old mechanical machine for perfect piecing (i use a Singer 66 i bought for $30) and a Handiquilter Sweet 16 for quilting ($5,000 -6,000). That assumes you only quilt. If you do garment sewing or embroidery you might want the other machines mentioned, but if you don't you are spending lots of money on bells and whistles you don't need.

Pam

I just got the Janome Horrizon, but I haven't done to much with it yet. I'm sure I'll love it. I had a Janome 6260 & I had no complaints.

I have the Bernina 820. If money was no object I would buy another Bernina, so I have one on my frame, and one on my sewing table. As I have said before, you get what you pay for, the Bernina machines may be expensive, but the Bernina customer service is priceless.

I have a Bernina 820 and I love it. . . . But I am a gadget person. I just love all the neat things it does, the fun things I'm learning, etc. BUT no one machine does everything perfectly. I've had them all and each had it's good points. I still think the Viking Saphire was the best for just piecing. No I'm not giving up my Bernina but that old Saphire was a gem.
I really think the machine you like depends on what kind of sewing you do, your like/dislike of new gadgets, patience in learning ways and the list goes on. Try as many as you can.