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