sewing machine survey
 

What does everyone think is the best sewing machine out there for domestic sewing machines with larger throat area? Please list pro's and con's Thanks ahead of time

Husqvarna Viking Diamond any version

i will be watching this to see what everyone thinks on this subject.. i have seen a few on here that love this husqvarna diamond viking....going to do a search on this.. :)

I love my Babylock

The best that I have found are the Janome 6600 for hours of piecing and the Janome 8900. Largest harp area is the 8900. The harp space is 11"....and the price is very reasonable. The price is going down again, due to the potential of another machine coming out.....I don't have any con's....These are sturdy machines that do a great job. My 8900 does a better job of FMQ than the 6600...but it is probably operator error...I had eyelashes with the 6600, but not on the 8900. Neither one of these machines like Coats and Clark thread, but that is not a problem since I haven't purchased CC thread for years.

The Juki TL2010q is a real workhorse. Only straight stitching, but powerful. I love the speed control feature, thread cutter on foot pedal and knee lift lever.

I didn't need a big throat and have had my Bernina 1530 since the 90s. LOVE it. I quilted many award winning queen size quilts with it.

I love my Janome 8900. Currently quilting a queen size quilt with no problem with FMQ. I have the sewing machine on the kitchen table because of the weight of the quilt.

Love my Janome 8900. Huge throat size and features galore! What other features aee you looking for?

I love my janome 8200. Big throat. Lots of features and stitches. Auto tension works like a dream and my FMQ is beautiful :)

Viking Sapphire 970 Quilt. I love mine. It does just what I need without a bunch of bells and whistles to go wrong. I am not crazy about the bobbin winder, but everything else is great. Especially that 11 inch throat

Babylock Crescendo.

11" harp, needle up/down, presser foot up/down, 8 directional sewing, laser light, electronic pen, knee lift, auto pressure sensor, bobbin sensor, separate bobbin winder, 5x7 screen, on-board videos/instructions, thread cutter, auto needle threader.

The only thing it doesn't do is the the dishes, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to show it how to do that soon. :-)

Baby Lock Symphony or Crescendo (both a bit higher on the budget). They have great lighting, needle-down, needle adjustment, motor speed adjustment, separate bobbin winder motor, great stitch quality and a whole lot more. I wouldn't trade mine.

Brother 1500 straight stitch. It's a workhorse with all the features you want, needle threader, thread cutter, knee lift, can be used on a frame or as a sit down.

The Brother, Laura Ashley .. NX 2000. Love it and it has everything I need to quilt. Since I purchased this machine I don't even have the urge to look at any others.

I've had a Janome 7700 and an 8900 now. No cons that I can think of. They are heavy, which, for me, is a huge plus--as I can't shove it around easily when hoisting a heavy quilt through it.

Pros--good lighting, heavy duty, big throat, reasonably priced, not over-the-top expensive for additional feet.

Have a Jukie straight stitch and a Pfaff creative sensation, both are great.

Let me add my vote for the Janome 8900. It's a real workhorse. No cons, only pros and there are lots and lots of them.

Me too, great machine. Has 11 inch harp, lots of room. Many stitches for later use if you need them, lots of pros. Mid range price machine, good deal.

I love my brother dreamweaver, it is a dream, like those talking about the babylock crescendo it is lovely. I also second the lauraashley/symphony as I had the predecessor before my dreamweaver and really loved that one as well

I have not sewn on all of the machines so i dont have an opinion on determining "the best". I
Sandy

Baby Lock Unity, Credenza, Aria, Journey, & Destiny machines - 11.25 inches to the right of the needle - Pro

Con - $$$$ PRICE

I just bought a Janome 7700 (haven't even had a chance to turn it on) for the throat space, the number of stitches, and the dual feed foot. I feel it will do everything I will need for a long time to come. $2,499 at allbrands.com, free three day delivery.

I don't know what is the best machine, as I have only bought a couple. I love my Janome 6600. Someday I would like to have one with more throat area, but those get to be pretty expensive

Janome 8900 for an all purpose machine. It has an 11" harp and ALL the bells and whistles -- does everything except doesn't have an embroidery unit (but does embroidered letters and numbers).
Brother PQ 1500s for a straight stitch workhorse of a machine. It has a 9" harp. I use mine primarily for FMQing since I now have the Janome.

I talked to Donna at Kens Sewing Machines today and they are selling the Janome 8900 for $1695.00 and can ship them out of state for the next few weeks. Usually the 8900 can't be shipped. These were machines they demoed at the Paducah Quilt show but will carry the full warranty just as if they were new. http://www.kenssewingcenter.com/

I agree with Dolphyngirl--I really like my Brother VQ3000. I was looking at 11" harp machines, and it came down to the Brother or the Janome. I much preferred the Brother; it felt sturdier and had more features. Prices were similar.

I love my Elna Quilter's Dream, but if you're looking at strictly a larger throat area, the 201's have a fairly large throat and you can drop the feed dogs, which are a couple of the main reasons I want to get mine up and running, just to try it out.

I have the Janome 8900 and am very happy with it. I bought it for the throat size and it really makes a difference in your larger quilts.

Husqvarna Viking Ruby

Depends on what features you want :)

I do a lot of machine appliqué as well as quilting, so for me, auto-pivot is a 'must'. Not to have this feature on my machine would be like washing dishes by hand, lol.

That, and the built-in walking foot for straight (as opposed to FMQ) quilting. Therefore, Pfaff all the way! I have the QE4.0 and the Performance 5.

Pfaff Performance 5.0 - the built in IDT is much better than putting on and taking off the accufeed feet on the Janome 6600.

I am amongst the Janome believers... I purchased my 6600 almost 5 years ago and it pieces and sews beautifully and I have had no issues FMQ smaller projects (baby quilts, runners, twins and laps) but I recently took the leap and purchased the 8900. Not only does the extra few inches of throat space make a difference it FMQs like a dream.

I was feeling guilty about keeping both machines but I just can't part with my 6600. I would make sure if you are looking for a new machine, you test drive one and also consider how far your dealer is if you need service. If you are interested in FMQ, make a couple small sandwiches and take them when you test drive.

Love my Janome 8900. So many bells and whistles

I vote with Inspectorcmm!

Another happy pfaff owner here. I love the stitch quality, the auto-pivot , the idt, the free motion foot and the lighting. The performance 5.0 is my newest machine.
We all seem to find machines that we love but I really think you need to try different ones to see what one seems best for you. Maybe there isn't a BEST machine for everyone but there are features that will frustrate you to no end and ones that will make your sewing time a pleasure.

I second all of this! I have this machine too and just love it. It's pieced and quilted many quilts.

Pfaff. Lots of machines with 10" throat (250 mm), Integrated Dual Transportation (IDT) which means no need for walking foot, and 9 mm stitch width. I love my Quilt Expression.

Another vote for the Pfaff QE 4.0. Easy to operate and lots of nice options too. I like the IDT and the ability to pivot fabric the best, and it has sooo many stitches.

I loved my Janome 6500 then my 6600 until it failed miserably in making my dress for my son's wedding. No longer a Janome girl - Pfaff 5.0 and Passport for me.