I have a Viking SE and have had it for over two years and I really like it, I just traded my Elna 7000 for a new Janome Horizon, and I have not used it enough to really tell you about it but I'm like all the other ladies and you should try out any of the machines you are interested in purchasing, and also try to get a dealer close to you that will work with you on any problems and they have classes to learn about your machine. One of my machine dealer is 30 minutes away and the other is 1 hour away, so I try to call ahead if possible for any help on the machines.

I'm a Janome gal.....sewing machine 6500, embroidery machine and serger...and I almose forgot...the Janome Jem.

I can't help you because I would like a new or used upper end machine, this just confuses me more. It doesn't take much to do that, though. The info is really helpful. My old Viking died on me a few months ago.

I have a Janome 6600P that I love. I also have a Husqvarna Viking Saphire 870Q that is a wonderful machine. I have never owned an Elna. Test drive all of the ones you are interested in and see which one best suits your needs.

Stick around for a while, granny love. We will make a quilter out of you. lol

just bought a Janome 6600 Memory craft about 2 months ago and love it. I had and, still cherish, an old model Pfaff but the new 6600 has lots of bells and whistles.

I have an old Elna and it is a work horse and now have a new Janome and it is superb also. I would try to find one that offers classes too to figure out how to use all the new toys. I think that all would work excellent although I do love the Janome.

One of the first, and most valuable, lessons about sewing machines is.....the simplest models are the best ones for 99% of sewing requirements. I use most of the time a straight stitch and the rest of the time, a zig zag stitch. The rest are just unwanted decorations & extra unneeded cost (except for the buttonhole option when doing certain dressmaking/tailoring tasks-and that is very rarely needed). All my 3 machines are mechanical, with the minimal amount of stitches that were available at the time of purchase. And you know what? It is the skill of fabric knowledge, pattern manipulation, and of course a very dependable, well built, balanced stitch, sews most thicknesses of fabrics, sewing machine that will not die in the middle of a project is the most important "feature" of all. That is the real secret of my successful completion of the 2 quilts, the large rear bike panniers (the blue ones with the cat inside), and the little front bike bag adaptation pictured below. They were sewn by my little 3/4 size Janome Hello Kitty Model 11706 sewing machine. It is on sale at Target right now for just 100 dollars!

Though to make the above choice, I would go for the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 2700 QCP.

Personally I own 2 Janome's including a Horizon 7700 and a DC 3018 and love them both. I would reccommend making a list of the things that you most want or need in a machine and next I would find a dealer that you can trust. Try the machine out. Good luck and let us know what you decide. :)

I've had Elna's for 40+ years and was very happy with the 2 I had. I recently had to replace my Elna as they couldn't get parts for it. I looked at Janome and they were good machines (looked at the Horizon but was out of my budget). Have a friend that has had Viking for many years and loves it. I think all three are good machines, try them as much as you can before you decide. Consider price, service available?, warrenty etc. Then purchase and enjoy!!! I ended up with a Baby lock when I replaced my Elna and love it!!

Good luck with the Viking. Hope it works out perfect for you.

Mamabearme,
I was looking up the Elna and found it was recalled to due it catching fire.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11237.html

I work for HViking and love the Tribute 140C, nice machine, no experience with the Janome. I own the Viking Sapphire 875, very similar to the the Tribute 140C. Love using both of these machines.

I just bought a Viking and my reason was because its is more metal than plastic part on the inside.

I have the Viking Sapphire, Designer SE along with one of their Sergers and love them all. But, I agree that you should try all 3 on your list and pick the one you like best. Like Pam B. said...., please consider what is available in the way of support/classes. Viking dealers are very helpful whenever you have a question, either by phone or in person and really go out of their way to help solve your problem. And the classes are lots of fun too. Post you pick when you decide!!

So which one did you get? Thanks.