Who has a Bernina Q20?
 

Please talk to me. One was demonstrated today and I am so tempted. Convince me to go forward or to back off. Thanks.

Don't have one, but I'd take the HandiQuilter Avante over the Bernina. The HQ has more bells and whistles for a lot less, and is a very well built machine. And HandiQuilter has been making their machines for a lot of years. Where this is Bernina's first quilting machine, I'd give them time to work the bugs out. Bernina is putting a regular sewing machine needle in their machine that goes 3000 stitches per minute. Where HandiQuilter has put a special needle in their Infinity because of the high speed (3100 stitches per minute). If you can spend that much money, you might want to check out the HandiQuilter Infinity.

Bernina is too new to the longarm scene to have gotten everything right. I believe this month is their very first month on the market -- ever!!! Janome is another one that is too new for my blood, although they have been around a little longer than the Bernina.

Here is a link to a previous thread on the topic where you may find more info:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...0-t261320.html

My advice is back off, back off, back off. A rule-of-thumb is to spend a year researching longarm options within your price range (and trying out machines for yourself at quilt shows) before making a decision. Seeing one demo is not going to give you a reasonable perspective.

One of the things I liked is that I am able to sit down. Too old to stand for long periods. Is this possible with the HandiQuilter Infinity? I also liked that it is compact and fit into a smaller space. It handled smoothly. Incidentally for this interested, the price is $999 plus tax.

I appreciate the feedback and the link to the other discussion. I will wait and to some more investigating. Thanks and I am anxious for further comments/recommendations. You guy are the best!!!

We have a customer who's in a wheel chair who uses a saddle chair to use her HQ Avante'. It might work for you, too?

HQ has a sit down machine called the Sweet 16, but it's about $5,000. I believe the Bernina Q20 is around $16,000, as is the HQ Infinity. Where the Avante' is about $9,000.

Are you saying that you can buy the Bernina Q20 for $999 plus tax? Whoa! If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

I found this pricing for the Bernina in Australia:
http://www.sewthisandthat.com.au/com...g-arm-machine/
The Q20 sitdown there is listed at an introductory price of $13,000 Australian dollars (about $10,000 US dollars).

Are we talking about the same machine? I don't think it's possible that $999 plus tax is correct (maybe $9,999 plus tax?).

Many people love the Sweet 16, and it's been around for awhile. If you shop around, you might be able to buy one used for considerably less than list price on a new one. Keep an eye on Craigslist in your area and, if you belong to a quilt guild, let them know that you are looking for a used Sweet 16 or George.

I test drove this machine at a craft show last week ,and I would have one at the drop of a hat ,Bernina have been testing is machine for the past 3 years it is not something they have just thought up , it their most expensive machine yet and worth every dollar of it ,I am trying very hard to convince my lovely husband to move into the garage so I could fit it in .Cathy

You have to really think clearly on the pricing of some of these LA. You could buy a car with what some of them cost!

I ordered one because I love the actual quilting on a quilt and the Q20 has 20 inches of throat space. And it comes with a Koala table that extends to 80 inches. When I tried it out at the Chicago show, I couldn't believe how easy and smoothly it stitched. Also, it's a fairly simple machine that uses regular needles and regular thread. Can't wait until it comes!

My error!!! The cost of the Q20 is $9999.00 plus tax not $999. Sorry. I should do better proofing before posting.

Innova also makes a sitdown model and it is priced at $6K which includes the table without a stitch regulator. $7K with the stitch regulator. IMHO the innova is much more heavy duty better made machine than the HQ but that is only MHO.

My DSM is a bernina and I would be the first to sing its praises when it comes to DSM but when it comes to LA I agree with Prism, go with a manufacturer where Longarms are their only business and have been at it for a long while. If my heart was dead set on the Bernina, I would wait at least year or two to see what kind of bugs and kinks can be worked out and what the general public feedback is on the durability and performance of the machine, especially when it carries a price tag of a good $3K more than reputable, long established LA machines.

Mine arrives tomorrow!! Well, not exactly mine, but I'll be doing the Longarm quilting at a local quilt store on their Q24 when it arrives. I'll be happy to provide feedback once I have a chance to try it out. I currently use a HandiQuilter Avante (18"), so I'll have that for comparison.

After all the problems the 8 and now 7 series DSM have had, I would run from the longarm. I would buy several other well known and bug-less manufacturers like Innova, Gammil, Nolting etc. I own many Berninas but the 8 series has been trouble! So, lesson learned about buying new technology from Bernina. The fact that it uses regular domestic needles is another turn off. Domestic needles were not meant to be used for the speeds long arms stitch at. I predict lots of problems in the future:<

I am a Bernina die-hard and am thrilled they came out with a long arm. When I can justify owning a long arm and have the room for one, I will buy the Bernina LA for the same reason I only own Bernina DSM, their customer service and the tension quality.

Suz. I saw it demo'd in SLC last month. Loved it. Also a die hard Bernina fan. Have had my 930 for 30+ years. It was 9000 with the table at the show. Can't remember but think he said 12,000 regular (no table) and the table was pretty awesome also! Hand made in Switzerland like all the good berninas are. I am not at the quilting level that can justify a LA but someday!!! As long as there was good support I would get one in a heartbeat!

I have a sweet sixteen by handquilter and love it. The throat is not quite as big, but I have done large quilts with no problem. We built our extension side tables from old kitchen countertops and piano hinges to save a lot of money. Handiquilter also makes pfaff and possibly baby lock sit down quilters. Do your homework because they are more expensive with no more features. The baby lock is almost identical to the sweet sixteen, but a lot more expensive.

I demo'd the Q20 at a quilt show a few months ago and it is one sweet machine! The best feature IMHO is the stitch regulator built into the needle plate area and this is what sold me on the Q20. It also is a beautiful machine purely from a design standpoint. Was looking at the HQ Sweet 16, but wasn't in love with the Tru-Stitch regulator. The only reason that I decided to wait awhile (besides $) was that I wanted it to be out on the market for a while to work out any kinks, so I'm looking at next spring - just in time for an excellent birthday present to me!

Pardon my ignorance, but is the Q20 a sit down machine where you move the quilt, or a standup machine where the carriage moves over the quilt? I have a HQ Avante with Pro stitcher and just love it. It takes up the whole living room, but having arthritis in my hands and wrists prevent me from moving the quilt on a machine. Handi Quilter is American made and their customer service is great. I don't know where Berninas are manufactured, but American made is important to me.

The Q20 is a sit-down machine wherein you move the fabric under the needle. Didn't know about the HandiQuilter being American made which is also important to me. Thanks for this information. Bernina is Swiss-made, I think. Someone correct me I misspeak. Thanks.

Darn! for 999 I was going to go out and get one

Thanks, Suz. I did a lot of looking, test driving and research before I went with HQ. I also have a Viking Mega Quilter 18/8, which has been in the factory more than it has been in my house. It is made by Tin Lizzie. I would never buy a machine again that was made by someone else and then another name put on it. Viking was great about sending it for the needed repairs, but when something has been entirely rebuilt, and after 6 months has the issues return, signals go off in the head telling me there are giant design flaws somewhere.

like several others have said, try it out and also a regular long arm with a stool--with the sit downs you are moving the quilt under the machine, while regular long arms you move the machine--two very different methods. figure out which you eel most comfortable with first, then do your shopping. And a quality used long arm will be closer in price to a new sit-down. Now...space is an issue!

I have the Q20 machine ant love it. I'm new at quilting but wanted to do my own quilting, until I mastered the free motion, I got certified on the Innova Longarm standup. I took a test drive on approximately ten sit down longarms in March at the Hampton Quilt Expo and was leaning towards the Jukki and the Innova longarms because of my familiarity with these machine. I wasn't aware that Bernina had a sitdown longarm so when I tested the machine, I had to have it. My machine was delivered and setup on 29th of June. I don't have the space for the Q24 but the Q20 can be converted to a standup at any time and none of the other sitdown offers that.

I had to take my Bernina in for servicing week before last and had an opportunity to check this machine out. These are my views on it
Pros
A very nice machine with a very responsive stitch regulator. I suspect had the tension been set correctly it would also make a beautiful stitch. Was nice from the top but had pokies on the bottom.
The wheels for running on track/carriage system are all metal and two angled wheels run on either side of the track at each location there is contact, as opposed to most setups that have a grooved wheel that runs on the track
The machine moved Very smoothly and easily.
Cons
The stitch regulator is all electronic with a laser eye and no encoders, while at first this seemed appealing to me, I realized that if any one thing went wrong you would most likely have to replace the entire module (Big bucks!). What would happen if one of those laser lights burnt out?
No rear handles, or at least not on the machine I saw. how would you do pantos? I didn't think to ask until later.
All tension adjustments were touch screen controlled. so also all electronic. Call me old fashioned but I like to be able to see my tension set spring to ensure it is ok and I like to be able to tweek both upper and lower tension. the demo model had bad tension at the time but in their defense they said the machine just came back from a show and they hadn't had a chance to reset it.
The control buttons on the handles did not seem to be responsive. The dealer could not get them to operate correctly.
The threading path was all internal on the machine. Again you can not actually see your tension check spring to ensure it is operating correctly. Now that is the case also with my domestic Bernina but if my tension goes wonky it is only a minor inconvenience to haul the domestic off to the dealer. I can't say that would be the same for the Q20 or Q24. Additionaly is Bernina recommending you lug this monstrosity in for annual servicing as well? Uh no thanks. I would suspect the machine head weighed at least 45 to 50 lbs.
It didn't look like there was any way you could do any kind of self servicing on this machine. Most of us who have LA will eventually learn how to reset our timing, adjust needle bar height or replace tension set springs or any other number of simple mechanical adjustments the Q20 and Q24 appears to be all electronic or encased, so even minor issues means hauling this huge machine head back to the dealer.
The hopping foot seemed awfully skinny to me. Can't imagine trying to do ruler or template work with it. So I suspect like all Berninas you have to buy multiple feet so if you want to do ruler work, different foot that you must change out. I didn't think to ask about that until I left.

All in all while it is a beautiful machine and operated as you would expect a Bernina to operate, I feel there is way too much high tech electronics that can go wrong with it and put you out of commission for extended periods if one little tiny thing goes wrong. So definitely not the machine to get if you plan on quilting for others. For your own use it is a very nice machine that also carries a very nice price tag.

I have the Q24 which is the stand up version & I love it. The q20 & q24 have beautiful stitches & are really easy to use. I also have a domestic Bernina with the stitch regulator & love that the Longarm & table top use that technology instead of encoders. I do a lot of freehand quilting on both my Q24 & my domestic Bernina & love them both.

The foot that comes with the Q24 is not the one to use with rulers. There is a thicker foot for that & yes they are pricey! That is a big drawback. There are also back handles for pantos. Again pricey.

This was posted almost a year ago. Is there any updated reviews available on the durability of the needles? I too had that concern.

Many have disposable income to purchase high price items.

9 months later and I can only reaffirm that my Q24 was one of the best decisions of my life. It is a dream to use and never has a problem. I wouldn't consider anything else. You get what you pay for.

Anyone got an update on life with their Q24?

I have a friend who has one and is not as happy as she thought she would be. She thought it had more stitches on it and it doesn't.

Hubby recently bought me one about $10000 but got 3 year service and lots of goodies! Love in. Am still learning about free motion quilting. Have done 2 small quilts not perfect but not bad for ruler work. Have 2 more ready but need to find out if need another surgery.

I have a simply sixteen handi quilter and have had it for two years and really liked it . Just recently tried the Bernia Q20 and it and it glides so much smoother than my simply sixteen. I was quoted a good trade in price for my simply sixteen and a great price on the bernia. I took two sewing machines in for service and tried the Bernia Long arm and was sold. I have 440 bernia quilter sit down sewing machine and really like it but would like the bernialong arm with the 9foot table. They are giving me almost what I paid for on the Simply 16 toward the Bernia long arm. So I am considering it. The store is not far from my home and they will come and dis-assemble and pick up the Simply 16 and assemble the Bernia free. Its swiss made and that is important. Have never had a problem with my 440 machine.
This store prices are great.

Actually I paid more for my long arm than I did for my car. Priorities you know lol. I used an inheritance to buy both.

Cari

I’m curious as to why Prism says this is Bernina’s first month on the market with their Q20? I have a fellow quilter who has owned hers for a couple of years now and wins ribbons at quilt shows with her work. http://www.sarahannsmith.com/
She loves her Q20 and does fabulous work on it.

Prism's post and mine are back from when this thread first started back in 2015. Bernina introduced their longarm line in 2015. https://www.bernina.com/en-US/Footer...y#history-2015

Every post has a bar at the top that tells you when the post was made.

I have one and I really like mine. I can use my old quilting needles, don’t have to buy bernina brand. It comes with a bobbin winder on it. I got a deal that has a table with it. Besides if anything goes wrong I have a reliable dealer to fix it. It has a built in stitch regulator. Tried them all at quilt show. Like this sit down the best and the deal.

Don’t I feel silly....I just caught that this morning when I came back in to the thread to look for more feedback on the subject. Thank you lyric girl and feline fanatic. I must have been day dreaming.

I’m so sorry and I’ll be sure to pay closer attention next time.

Done some research on Bernia and decided to hold off and go with Handiquilter Avante once I am able to sell My Simply Sixteen. No rush .