first...the 5 at the end of the number is a giveaway..more than likely the 835 was made in china. my hubby did some research for me...the components are still designed/engineered and made in sweden and then shipped to china for assembly. not my first choice, but i love my viking tribute 140c (which is the saphire 855, just in red!).

janome is also a pacific rim machine..meaning made in asia. as are most all the rest. my dealer did tell me with the SVP...that pfaff is pretty much now based on the viking machining, just has pfaff feet and the dualfeed that pfaff is so famous for. he likes and sells both machines....but in the end, he did hedge his bets a little more towards the viking.

They may have lost thier rights to sell Vikings so instead of being nice and not saying anything they be-little the company. When a store sells a certain machine they represent the company and have to follow certain rules and maybe they didn't. I know the LQS here got in trouble for selling me a gracie frame and promising to send me the instructions but wouldn't do it. I called the company trying to get them and they asked where I got it from. The following week I got the instructions from the Store because the company got onto them. Viking is getting stronger and now with Phaff and singer under thier wing so to speak they'll get even stronger. Try to find a different dealer to talk to.

I have a new Viking Sapphire 835 and love it. I also have a Lilly 545 that I might be selling and a Designer 1. I am definitely a Viking gal. Have tried Bernina, Pfaff, Janome, & Baby Lock and they just didn't feel right for me. Go for the Viking they are great.

My first machine was a Viking, my second was a Viking Quilt Designer and my third I went with a different company. But whenever I get my new one serviced, I pull out my Quilt Designer and it works wonderfully. Never had a problem with either of them. In fact, my daughter has my first one and loves it.

I have had a Viking Sapphire for several years and I absolutely love it. I have had no problem with it and would highly recommend it. I feel that maybe they were just trying to build the other machine up.

All the machines are good. It's buyer's choice.

The gossip I heard - SVP is not the best at even answering dealers questions. Plus a lot of dealers wanted no part of Singer. Singer made a mess when they bought Pfaff in the 80s or thereabouts.

Brother and Janome allow internet/big box sales and dealers who didn't sell the machines are expected to do warranty work or some such.

Babylock does do dealer support, and very well.

Babylock, Pfaff, Viking, Bernina only sell through dealers.

A lot of the bad press came from embroidery software. Most software was geared to XP. and when Vista came out, there was a royal mess. Dealers needed help to even begin to help customers. If the manufacturers had a problem with the software, it made it really hard for dealers to keep customers happy.

I have the Sapphire 875Q, bought it last November. I had a Viking/Husqvarna prior to this one and loved it too! So far I have made 4 quilts on my new one, working on my fifth. Then it is time for a break! I love the walking foot and the automatic tension and the quarter inch foot and the...and the...and the... "-)

Ok, ladies---take a deep breath. I think I can calm your fears. I visited a sewing machine repair shop here in Columbus, Ohio a month ago to buy bobbins, 1/4 inch foot and needles for my 1948 ( new to me) Singer Featherweight. In talking with this very nice man, I learned a lot. He told me that the Viking Sapphire is one of the best Viking has in their current line for durability. He said that, the higher up, more expensive Vikings are usually the ones he has to service. We also talked about Singer (better to buy older ones like featherweights, 301, etc) Janome (very good quality machines) Kenmore (ones from the 1970's or older are best) Pfaff & Babylock (good machines) Brother (great beginner machines) Now on the higher up Vikings, he said it is usually due to the machine not being set up properly for whatever stitch or embroidery design. He rated sewing machines as follows for newer ones: #1--Janome, #2--Vikings, #3--Pfaff, #4--Babylock I also learned that when you take your Vikings to the Viking centers inside JoAnns here in Columbus, OH to have them cleaned, or serviced--they send them to him. He does not sell new machines, but will sell ones that people have brought in to him for service and then decide to not have it done. All he does is repair them and sell parts and supplies for them. I asked him if he thought the quality had gone down in any particular model of sewing machine and he said the only one he truly could say that about was Singer. So rest easy my fellow Viking owners---these are good machines and if you are lucky enough to get the Sapphire, you got the best out of the current line.

we have a Viking dealer in our town and have not seen baby lock machines for sale there.

I have a Husqvarna Viking 875Q and love it. Altho' I was not pleased with the darning (hopping) foot, I love using the floating or R foot for FMQ. This is, of course, just personal choice. I recently bought a Brother CS6000i for taking to regular meetings and workshops as I was concerned whether lugging the HV around might damage it (or at least, that's what I told myself!). Actually, I enjoy having the lighter machine for packing around but will take my HV for any FMQ.