Should i buy this sweet sixteen????
 

i have been looking at this machine for some time, but the price of it has held me back from buying one. I dream of owning the sweet sixteen for a long time always saying some day...

I came across one for sale, it has a bobbin winder, thuStitch, table 36x30 with the extensions which is 18x30 I think, it has a table overlay and extra LED lights. She told me it had around 43000 stitch i think that is what she said..

the price is 3750.00, the machine is not in my state and it is about 300 miles from us. She said she would come half way so it didn't need to be shipped. i really really want this machine..haha
I asked why she is selling it and was told she got a different machine on a 12 foot frame.

I really want to get this machine but what if I have problems with it? she did say it ran really good and she never had any problem with it. would you buy a machine sight unseen, I guess people do this all the time on like Ebay.. Do I take a chance?

Only if I could try it out. Once she's got your money, that's it. Would you buy a car sight unseen, for that amount, without test driving it?

I would do it if the price were lower. I believe the cost new is about $5,000, and I would want the used price closer to 50% of new. With a lower price, I would probably arrange to drive the entire way myself so I could try out the machine, stay in a hotel overnight, and bring it back the next day. That would be the cost of "insurance" that the machine is in good working order. I just think $3750 is too high.

Price is too high for the risks. Check the warranty on the electronics (5 yrs?), (original owner?). You have to set it up yourself. What if you have problems? I have a friend who got a new machine for Christmas and so she was asking the same as your friend.....that is about what she spent 4 1/2 years ago. She said I would be saving the price that has gone up in those years. She was trying to recoup all her cost. Good for her, not so good for a buyer with problems. Now if you have a history of fixing and tinkering with machines, you may have high confidence you can address anything that is not so right. My hubby is a tinkerer. He recommended I buy new if I wanted it. Best wishes on your opportunity.

Personally I would grab it but I would drive the whole 300 miles and sew with it first! I bought a house sight unseen so I am probably not someone you should heed. I love the house by the way! Are you a 1941 baby? If so, we have that in common!

Agree with the others, if you want it, you should go to her place and know that it is working .... plus that when you get it that you have everything! Too easy when she is packing it up that something gets left behind, such as the bobbin winder!

The number of stitches is negligible, so no need to sweat on that, so long as she is telling you the correct number.

Price, agree too, without a warranty behind it (that you could maybe get with a dealer) does seem high. All I can say there, is to double check the current prices for the full package, and make your decisions on that.

Another thing, check which S16 model it is. Aren't they onto a 3rd (or 4th?) generation by now? Almost the same machine, but some nice features that you may wish you had, and would sooner pay the full price for an up-to-date model.

While you said you really want the machine, you didn't say whether you have done any test drives and how familiar you are with the machine. Regardless, I would spend some time with a dealer, and get really familiar with the machine before I headed off on this possible venture .... or decide whether you want to buy all new with warranty, training, support and service. You're missing all of those in the re-sale.

The table extension(s) run about $200 each, the overlay adds $100, the tru stitch if you buy it with the machine adds about $600 or separate $1,000 and the machine new is $4,995 from an online dealer without those extras. 43,000 stitches is nothing for usage, I had over 5,000,000 on mine when I sold it, and went to a longarm on a frame. It doesn't sound like your seller is totally out to lunch on her pricing IMHO, and like most vendors there's probably a little wiggle room ;) :). I bought mine used from a private seller and Handi Quilter via phone to Utah, was fantastic at helping me out when I had questions or issues. I didn't have even a local dealer to depend on. There are forums with many users to glean an abundance of information and advice from. I would definitely drive to the sellers location to see and try out the machine before you buy it. The other thing you can do, is get the seller to provide a picture of the Systems Information (I think that's what it's on) screen on the machine and have her email it to you. It will show the stitch count and the Serial Number and the Software and CPod versions and you could call Handi Quilter it see what version it has, if it is updatable if necessary. Then you know what you're getting.

What Kwilter said!

If I wanted a sit down this would be it. Only 43k stitches? good grief it's not even broke in yet.
You don't say how old the machine is but if she just traded up I bet it's not that old. Handi Quilter is good about warranties. If the machine is less than a year old they might transfer(start over) the full warranty. They did it when I bought my Avante although I bought a demo machine from a dealer.

Cari

LOL yes I am...