Sit down long arm machine. Which one?
 

It looks like the sweet 16 I bought used may have bit the dust. Do you have a sit down longarm machine? Which one? Can you tell me the pros and cons. I’ve decided to buy a new one as I had so much trouble with the used sweet 16

Here’s the ones that Sewing machine plus had in the store:
Viking 16 “ $4000
pfaff power quilter 16 $4000
handi quilter Capri 18 $8000. Replaced sweet 16, stitch regulator built in
babylock tiara 3. $6000
babylock regent $6400
bernina q20. $13000
juki virtuoso pro long arm ? $

i also tried a Bailey I really liked at a quilt show.


any thoughts and comments are appreciated. I do not want a stand up machine.
Thanks, MJP

APQS has a sit down machine...George...I have a Lucy which is a standup machine. You might want to look at that one too....they do periodically have demo machines or used ones for sale too. I see on their website that a new one is around $7000. I have been satisfied with the tech support and they make their machines so owners can fix most things without sending them in. I do not know how close a dealer is to you but there is a list on the website as to where they have dealers. I know the main factory is in Iowa where they make the machines.

Viking, Pfaff, Babylock Tiara are all the same machine as the Sweet Sixteen. If you didn't like the SS or had trouble with it, you'd just be repeating.

Babylock Regent and HandiQuilter Capri are twin machines.

Bailey is supposedly a stretched Janome machine.

Don't bother with the Juki Virtuoso - it's being superceded by the Miyabi 350 that has stitch regulation in the table similar to the Regent/Capri/now-discontinued Innova sit-down (table has 2 small optical sensors in it).

APQS also makes the George sit-down. Very serviceable. Great company.

Bernina is very pricey for a large head that's hard to see around, especially compared to the others.

My first choice would be a used or leftover Innova sitdown if you can find it. Second choice would be an APQS George if you don't mind the last of stitch regulation. Juki doesn't have the greatest support. HQ Capri/Babylock Regent might be an option but there are reports of issues with the stitch regulator so do your research.

If possible, test drive before you buy. You might be surprised how the sound of once machine vs. another or the intuitiveness of the controls makes a huge difference.

One thing I was impressed by and never knew it would be a problem but it was. The hand wheel on the Juki sit down is right up front where it should be. On all the other it's in the back. That makes no sense at all and a real pain.

Bernina now has a 16" sit down that you may want to check out too.

More so than just listing the machines and prices, to me,
it's really important to consider service and support.
Maybe you are fortunate and have all those dealers in your locale,
but many do not and would be less interested in purchasing those models.

Go and do test drives ... you may eliminate some or fall in love with others!

Good Luck!

I really love my 20" Bailey, so I'm no help.

MJP, what is wrong with your Sweet 16?

bailey's Home Quilter
 

A vote for a Bailey's Home Quilter here. It has a 20 inch throat and is easy to maintain. I have had it about 5 yrs.

I have had my Juki Miyabi J-350QVP S Sit Down since January. I LOVE this machine.

It has the Smart Stitch Regulator built right into the machine, on either side of the needle where you're actually sewing. Some of the other sit down longarms, use a puck like attachment that you have to keep relocating on your quilt.

Juki's stitch functions include: precise, cruise, manual, and baste.

It's throat space is 18" long and 10" high providing plenty of room for larger projects.

You can set the needle to stop up or stop down when you stop moving the quilt.

It has a direct drive Servo motor, which is the same type of motor used in commercial machines. The ONLY thing I EVER have to oil is the hook, and the machine allows me to do that from the bobbin area or from a tiny opening on top of the footplate so I don't have to bend over or reach under the table.

It also has a second handwheel on the side of the machine so I don't have to stand up and reach all the way to the back if I want to move the handwheel.

I can use the automatic thread cutter/lock or manually cut the thread by pressing on the eye level screen or by using the foot pedal.

It uses standard longarm needles and the large Class M bobbins that hold a LOT of thread. It also has a built-in bobbin winder.

The basic table is about 35" wide, but I got the fold down side extensions that bring it up to 50". The table has a very heavy duty frame that doesn't wobble.

If I ever decided to switch the machine to a longarm frame, I could add Juki's automated quilting software.

The machine is manufactured in Japan, NOT China.

Last but not least, my Juki dealer provides AWESOME service, not only for this Juki, but also for repairs on my vintage domestic machines.

Everything about this machine is top of the line. I just LOVE it! (As if you couldn't already tell from this post!)

Oh, I guess I should have included the cost of my Juki Miyabi J-350QVP S Sit Down in my previous post. It was $6100 including the teflon table pad, table side extensions, lesson, delivery, and in-home set up.

Thank you everyone. this was very helpful. I’m lucky my dealer is sewing machines plus. They do have all those machines and provide service at their San Marcos (San Diego store) They will let me try out all the machines.

The one I tried at the show was a George. I really did like that one. It seemed a cut above the sweet 16. I liked that it faced the way a regular sewing machine does but the bobbin was small. I’m confident enough to do repairs at home if I have guidance.

I actually worked with handiquilter to find what could be causing the intermittent problem and brought the possible solutions into Mario to try out, since I didn’t have the parts or detailed directions. I’ll find out this week if the first solution worked.

I will turn it on, the screen comes on. But 70% of the time the machine won’t go. I did the diagnostics and don’t come up with a problem. Handiquilter gave me three solutions that sewing machine plus will try . I do like the idea a machine I could fix myself. My husband and I are both engineers. It’s not rocket science but you do need access to instructions.


kenestrickd (Handi Quilter)

Sep 11, 2020, 8:31 MST
I would take it back to Mario and have him run a "Burn-in" cycle to see if that corrects the problem. If not it could the Main Shaft encoder going bad, or the motor driver board. It could be either, but I would start with the Burn-in, then main shaft encoder.

Dawn

Well, if you decide to throw it out, LMK. I'll take it.

I think you may be able to request the "M" size bobbin with the George. I had a choice between the "L" or "M" sized bobbins for my Lucy....

Lucky you for so many options locally!

While you mentioned this one was used ... how used?

Maybe it has just seen too many mile/stitches?? ... and perhaps your HQ contact has a directed you and Mario to resolution. With that in mind, it may be as good as new, once tended too. Of course, too, you may have spotted other models that have more bells and whistles, and want to trade up. Keep in mind that S16 has updated their machines, and if you have one of the original ones, there are other ones since. I think they are on the 3rd generation now?

I have the sit-down George and I love it..got it used and paid $2800, a great bargain...had to learn how to use it, but I'm getting better with each quilt I do..fantastic service...Now I'm wanting to do ruler work, so the foot for that is a little expensive but intend to buy pretty soon..I did splurge and buy the best bobbin winder...so been very happy with that...Good luck in finding just what you want...your happiness is the most important.. I just wish I had room for a longarm..I did longarm quilting for a friend of mine in her fabric shop..all her customers quilts...she closed her shop and sold her longarm to a friend, I had first choice but didn't have room for it..Gook luck with your search..

I would love to have this Juki if only I had room for it. I have a 9-1/2" throat Juki TL98QE and I love it. It is 11 years. I do have more places to oil, never had to have service on it. I keep it clean.

It has not been used a lot at all. Certainly if they are able to fix the machine at a cost of less than $1500 I'll keep it. I should find out this week. IF I decide it isn't worth fixing Tropic you can have it. Can't sell an unfixable machine.

Otherwise I'm thinking the George or newer Juki will be the way to go. I actually picked up a brochure for the MIYABI Juki J-350qvp from sewing machines plus so I could try it out there.

I have the Brother equivalent 1500 to the TL98Q it is a great machine also. It's going to my son when he has a more permanent home.

Thank you all for all the help! Your comments have been so valuable.

I bought a Juki Quilt Virtuoso Pro 2200S at the Paducah quilt show 3 years ago, and have loved using it. I actually like that it has no speed control, as I have learned to control speed to movement myself. It's been great with no problems. I paid $5000 after the show and took it home. They threw in a free saddle stool chair, a leaf on the table (and I paid $100 for the other one), the teflon sliding tabletop cover, and some rulers. Plus the financing was 0% over 5 years!

Thanks SewBiz. I don't have a stitch regulator on the sweet 16. It was too clunky. When I FMQ on my domestic Janome 6600 I keep the feeds dog partially up and that acts a little bit like a stitch regulator. I'd be ok going without one.

I put the replies in a word doc and printed them out. They'll go in the folder with the brochures. Thanks again folks. It's a big purchase for me so I want to get the right thing.

If you decide on the Juki, make sure that your local dealer is an authorized dealer for Juki. If he is not, Juki will not ship parts to him. Many shops can clean and do general maintenance, but if ever you need to replace a part, you need that authorized dealer.

I should have mentioned that the newer Jukis have built in stitch regulators.

well that’s a reason to go with the George instead. Though Sewing machines plus is an authorized dealer.

I have a Juki and I really like it. However, I have found that Juki is not great in terms of customer service. It took three emails to get an answer to a simple question from them. Having said that, my dealer is excellent but they are 1300 miles away. That makes shipping a little expensive. I learned the hard way that it is important to have an authorized dealer close by. Good luck with your decision. Choosing a new machine is not easy.

Good news for me. It’s the encoder. A relatively inexpensive part While I would love a new machine I can’t justify it. $6000 can buy a lot of fabric though. :)

Great news!!!
Hope they fix it quickly for you, and can get back to using it very soon.
Yes, indeed, treat yourself to some new fabric. A good excuse!!!! :)

Now for my question ..... what does the encoder do for the machine?
(I have a S16, so it's all relevant to me)
Thanks!

Great news! And.... if you wanted to get into better stitch regulator than the "puck" HQ used for the SS originally, they are now selling a table with the sensors in it. It's called the InSight table - retails around $1500 but they have run a couple of sales on it. It's the same table technology that the Capri uses, just has a cutout to fit the SS instead of the Capri.

well he told me but it was a few hours ago but here it goes. It encodes the message from the screen into something the motor can deal with. So if your screen is lit up but the machine won’t go when you press needle down or press the door pedal consider the encoder. Mario thought it would be $50. I guess Probably closer to $100. He says he’s not charging me labor. Probably feels bad that he didn’t believe me about the problem since it was intermittent. Understandable. He has to wait until HQ sends him the part and then he’ll fix it right away. Two weeks.

Thanks for the extra info.
Good Luck ... hope you get it back sooner.

Time to get something ready so you can use it as soon as you have it back!!

Good to hear! I have an older Sweet Sixteen that I bought used, and I love it. I think it's well worth it to get yours fixed- you can always look at getting an insight table for it if you decide you want stitch regulation.

Rob

Quilt E Im on it. I’m actually in the process of finishing up a top, so it’ll be basted and ready to go when the machine comes back. I’m receiving a bunch of fabric for a Quilting board boomerang swap blocks so it works out perfect. I like to have two projects going at once. A piecing/applique project and a FMQ project. Keeps me motivated.

Rob . I bought this machine used because it has such a solid reputation. Mine has been a bit of a disappointment. Hopefully this fixes the problem. I tend to go with a tried and true older model rather than anything new fangled.

mkc i think I will hold off on the stitch regulator but it’s very good to know it’s available. I want to make sure my machine works for a year before I commit.

You Go Girl! ;)

I have a 9-1/2" throat Juki TL98QE and I love it.

I use the same machine for machine quilting. I bought it on the trade in table at the local dealer for $199. It has a few quirks but sews great. I don't mind being a little rough with it. LOL I plan on using it until it dies and then I'll think about another. Probably what is traded in. I don't like spending a lot on machines. I'd rather use them to death and get another one. I bought my Brother embroidery machine with big hoop space for $299 off the trade in table. If after a couple of years they mess up, I don't fret over it. I bought my first Bernina on the trade in table, a 1260 for $450 with all accessories. It is such a good machine that I never felt iffy about buying from the trade in table. All have been serviced before being sold.

where did you find one at that price?

What is the trade in table?

This thread is 3 years old, so prices will have changed. Onebyone said that the trade in table was at her local dealer.

Hi MJP!
I have the Juki QVP2200... the first model that came out, so no stitch regulator. But I learned how to BE the stitch regulator just by using it. No stitch regulator hasn't been a problem. I must have had it about 6 years. I bought it at the Paducah show. It was a demo model that they sold me at a great price, around $5000, including all the extra stuff they had on it for display. So I got a free side wing (and bought the other one myself) and chair, and free teflon slider table cover, and some rulers. All for the $5000!
I've been very happy with it and it's given me no trouble or ever needed servicing. And only the hook needs a drop of oil every bobbin change or two. I have no reason to trade up.
Hope you find something you love!

Oops, didn't see that this thread is old! Never mind.....