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So glad this thread was started. I have a Janome and my mother-in-law fell and knocked it off . I've had it serviced 3 times and it won't stay fixed.My niece gave me her singer,but it's not working right either,I'm using a little Kenmore,it's to small. Looking at Wal-Mart,I'm desperate for a machine.My sister said she would buy me a early Christmas present. At this point I just need a machine that works

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tfch8184 (Post 6342763)

Personally I'd stay far away from Walmart machines. I got a brothers in January and it broke in August. I replaced that with a fancy pants singer and that broke within six days. Never again will I buy a Walmart machine. It's not worth the hassle. I switched to janome and haven't looked back. It was $250 (janome magnolia not the computerized one) and I love it it's my little work horse.

I purchased the Brother Project Runway from Walmart and after about 18 months had trouble, took it dealer for repair and was advised that I had worn it out and it wasn't worth the price to repair it! I would stay away from them!

remember---your best sewing machine "TOOL" is the store where you bought it---a dealer is probably cheaper in the long run---I know mine is---I live 30 miles away and many times a phone call has solved my problem---she is a Brother dealer and has a great service dept

I agree with Bellaboo. Also the throat space on these machines is going to be very limited, making FMQ difficult.

I should have mentioned I bought the Janome from a dealer and serviced at a dealer and she said sometimes they are not worth fixing

I have a Brother XL2600i. I bought it for a back-up & to take to classes (which I have yet to take). It's a simple, inexpensive machine and it sews a great seam. Nothing fancy, but it works great. I've had it a couple of years. I did not, however, get it at Wal Mart. I bought it from Penny's.

I have an older Kenmore (bought new, in 1977), a Janome 7700, and a Brother cs6000i. The Kenmore was a workhorse but now needs attention (minor, I'm sure). The Janome is for my quilting and the Brother was bought, to teach my daughter and granddaughter to sew. Bought the Brother online, from WalMart . . . and it's PERFECT, for its purpose. It sews very well, is user-friendly, and has enough bells and whistles, to please any beginner. Yes, it's probably mostly plastic and yes, it was relatively inexpensive. However, it gets the job done and doesn't complain. I can use the same bobbins in both the Brother and the Janome, so occasionally switch back and forth, if I'm constantly needing to change thread. The machines 'feel' different and I do prefer my Janome . . . but it also cost a heck of a lot more than the Brother. I did lots of research and thought long and hard, before shelling out that much money for a sewing machine. When buying the Brother, I also did lots of research and decided NOT to buy a lesser Janome. The Janome would have had a lot less 'bang for the buck' and this particular Brother had very good user reviews.

Bottom line - whatever you consider, do some research. Find out what owners of the machine, have to say about it. Don't go into any store and just take the word of the salesperson. Remember the salesperson wants to SELL. He/she may badmouth the competitor, in order to make a sale . . . whether or not it's true.

As for "you get what you pay for" . . . that isn't always true. You can find excellent bargains on quality machines . . . and you can also pay mega-bucks, for crap. :rolleyes:

I wonder how many people complain/compare about a toaster or microwave oven bought at WalMart?

Or Q-tips? or Colgate toothpaste? Surely, the company that makes Colgate toothpaste must use a different formula for the toothpaste that WalMart buys from it than the toothpaste it sells to other places.

It doesn't seem quite fair to compare a little beach shovel to a big caterpillar shovel, does it?

It doesn't seem quite fair to compare anything beyond the stitch quality and ease of use when comparing a $100 machine with a $10,000 machine.

I must be really old school, but I have Singers that I bought at tag sales, or Craigs list. I paid less than what the machines are going for at Walmart. You might want to go with an oldie, as they are very easy to use, and can be fixed at home. They also hum...

I had the Brother SQ 9000 that I got from Wal*Mart. It was a very nice machine. I think it was replaced by the SQ 9050. After I knew I liked quilting, I bought a Bernina. The Brother is a light machine, and I like to take it on vacations or to class.