When I went to buy my first machine, the advice my Mom gave me was to buy the most machine you can afford. I have bought 3 Vikings since then and love them. There are times I wished I had went with a Bernina as the dealer is closer and I feel has better classes. The dealer I bought my DII from closed a few years after I bought so now have to travel about 30 miles further for service. I feel any of the major brands of machines would be good---you just need to find the features, price and service that best suits your needs.

Things to consider:
Bucget
Needs vs. wants
New or gently used ... a local store would give you a warantee
Which machine had good service in your area [probably all of them do]
Which machine do you 'bond with' the best.

Have fun and try them all out.

ali

Check to see which dealers are in your area and spend some time trying out their machines. As others have said make a list of what features you want. The major machine brands have machines in different price ranges based on what you want the machine to do. Make sure you have a price in mind as they are in the business of selling and the higher priced the machine the more they make. Don't let them pressure you into something on the spur of the moment. If you like a machine that is above your price point ask about a used machine. Good luck with your search.

mltquilt

My lovely family just bought me a used Bernina 440 for Chtistmas. It is my dream machine. I have a Babylock Espire and it is a great machine. I have been very happy with it. Don't be afraid of a Babylock. I'm going to sell my Babylock because I have small sewing space and no room for two machine. I had hoped mt DIL would take it and learn to sew, but she wants no part of it. Good luck hunting.

I agree with all of the above and as other have said to write down a list of the features you want, those nice to have, harp size, etc. Make sure to bring fabric with you to test sew on and a fabric sandwich, if you do your own fmq. Do sew on different brands to compare/contrast - they do feel different. When I sat down to sew on a Bernina w/ their even feed foot - it felt like I was fighting the machine to fmq, plus the high price turned me off and the harp measurement was less than some other brands. Free lessons are a good idea, but wait to take them until you've had your machine a while, so you can try things out on your own and know what questions to ask. Good luck on your search.

I have 2 BabyLocks, both are embroidery machines. I bought the first one used and then got the Elegante new. It was pretty pricy but came with everything I could ever need. It also came with lessons from my dealership as did the used one. Be sure and go to a good dealer to get a good machine and help when you need it! Enjoy the search :)

Thanks so much for responding. You have given me plenty to think through. Will take my time. The nearest dealers are about 35 miles from my home. Better get ready for the search. LOL.

If you would prefer to keep your machines, look for cams for the 403. If your goal is to actually get a new machine, save up and get either a used mechanical Bernina or a computerized machine. You can get a Janome Memory Craft 5500 for between $1100 and $1,500 (depends on what the dealer includes). Bernina's are quite a bit more. The machines designed for quilting have a wider space between needle and motor which makes quilting way nicer particularly for larger quilts. My queen sized quilt was a complete bear to deal with but way easier with the wider space and it's only a couple more inches!

I love my Pfaff's!

When I see this question asked I always say, a sewing machine is like buying a car. Some don't fit as well as others. I've owned every brand, I prefer Babylock/Brother embroidery machines and Juki sewing machines. The Juki's are priced well, and take it from me, it will outsew every machine you throw at it. It has the strongest motor and goes thru everything. It feeds fabric well, no pounding your fabric thru the stitch plate hole when you start off. I have two Juki's the 98 straight stitch only, and the f-600 - more stitches than you'll ever need. Try them, you'll like them.
Judi in Ohio