I upgraded from a basic White machine to the 6600 knowing that I would grow into it (also knowing that my husband would not understand if I wanted to trade in my new machine for a newer machine within 6 months), and have not regretted my decision one bit. I use the Accufeed almost all the time, even for non-quilting projects. I do miss the free arm, but I have a little Janome Gem I keep on the side for when I really need the free arm and also for when my 6600 is getting his annual service. I've had him (Edward) for 3 years now and still love it.

My mouth is watering over the 7700, but my husband would never understand and besides that, I wouldn't want Edward to feel left out.

I love my 6500. I recently bought the 1/4 foot they brought out for the Horizon. This one goes over my joining seams fantastically. I had problems with the foot that came with the machine. Otherwise everything else on the machine is wonderful. I especially love the speed control, thread cutter, many decorative stitches, larger throat, etc.

My first suggestion, find a reputable dealer. Take a class, talk to the other customers. The second, try all the machines that have what you want before purchasing. I have the Jem Platnum, MC1001 and the Horizon. The only problem I had was with my Horizon and I took it in, said they fixed it. I didn't see any change and took it back, again they said they fixed it. I was told I could be using the wrong needle or thread. Needless to say I wasn't happy. I opened the machine at the store and it was doing the same thing with the correct needle and thread. They gave me the store model and I was okay with that, but then the computer went out. Took it in for repairs and had the same problem. I called the dealer, she thought I should get an Industrial Machine if I was going to sew through Jean fabric for purses. I emailed the owner of the company and had a new machine delivered to my home, still in the box the same day. After all of that I love my Horizon, it sews beautifully.
Good Luck,
Pam

She's talking about the fact that the 6600 does not have a freearm. The piece comes off the bed so you can sew cuffs and smaller stuff. You will find it extremely hard to sew pocketbooks and tote bags if you don't have a freearm. It can be done, but I found myself scratching the side of the metal case with pins just to get it placed correctly so I could sew around the bag.

I had the 6600 and traded it for the 7700 because it didn't have the free arm. Also, I wouldn't trade the Acufeed for anything. It's totally worth it.

Please excuse my ignorance but what does the accufeed do?

I have used my Janome 6500 for seven years and am completely satisfied with it. I know the auto threader and cutter are a must have. Saves on thread also. A little heavy if you carry it to classes, but worth it to me. Highly recommended.

It feeds the upper layer of fabric along with the bottom layer of fabric, which is moved through with the feed dogs. Basically, the Accufeed foot has little feed dogs also to help move the top layer of fabric through. This is really great when you have multiple layers (quilting), slippery fabric (satins), matching stripes, or anything sewn on the bias.

Janome is the best workhorse brand there is. If you can afford to buy the 6600, fine, if not, you will still be fine. Like the other, check to see if you can find a used 6600 for the same money. The 6500 has plastic bushings, the 6600 does not, it is all metal. I have the 6600 and am looking at a 6300 as an additonal machine. I am such a fan of Janome that I have nothing but that brand. Have had no major issues, even have an embroidery machine. There is a lady who is selling a 10001 on here worth the money, sewing, quilting and embroidery all in one.

I have the 6500 and love it. Never had a prob with it and have owned it at least 6 years. Personally for the money they beat out lots of other machines.

I have had a love/hate relationship with my Janome and had a miserable dealer as well who blamed every problem on "operator error". There is a small oil wick hole under the bobbin case that tends to dry out making the bobbin case rattle, growl and even jump out of place. Once I found out about this, I oil it regularly when I clean my machine. I also found that this machine does not begin sewing easily without pulling fabric into the feed dog plate. The single hole plate helped as did using leaders. My 6500 also likes to veer off the seam line at seam junctions. I have worn off paint on the bed of the machine and around the edge of the machine and pins seem to scratch the finish easily. I also had a lot of trouble raising and lowering the feed dogs for FM quilting. Once the feed dogs were down they would not come back up into place no matter how you moved the toggle for that function. As a result the machine would not feed fabric through properly and the stitch length was always off. Another Janome dealer finally corrected that problem by adding a missing screw. I like the thread cutter, larger harp and fancy stitches. I do wish that this machine (and others) had a longer basting stitch. My old Singer 201 has a longer stitch length than my Janome 6500. There are no perfect machines out there. Learn your machine and make it work for you.

As far as the bobbin problem, it happened to me, but I was using the wrong size bobbin, so it's important to be sure you aren't doing that too.LOL

Don't you just hate that. As soon as you have the money to buy a great machine, a few months later an even greater machine comes out. I love my BabyLock Esante but want a newer one with even cooler features - like the auto-lift feed dog.[/quote]

I just had to comment on your love of the Babylock Esante, this is a wonderful machine. I bought one some years ago and learned to machine embroider on this model. It is so easy to use and so reliable; I never had a minute's worth of trouble with it, except the needle threader had to be repaired once. My daughter now has it and loves it just as much as I did.

I don't have any experience with the 6500, but I have a 6600 which I really like. It has a knee lift, thread cutter and the accu-feed and many more features. The accu-feed is a great feature.

I love my 6600P. I did not test drive the 6500. A friend told me to get a xxxx. I thought she said 6600. LOLs she said 6500 cause that is what she has and she had not experienced the 6600. When she saw my machine in action and then tried it she agreed it was a sweet machine. The accufeed is wonderful! I am sew happy with my 6600P and would suggest it to any quilter.

I would spend the extra for the accused I love mine

WAS SO GLAD TO READ THE LAST SENTENCE ON THIS THREAD ABOUT THE 7700. A FRIEND OF MINE GOT IT AND I THINK SHE WISHES SHE HAD SAVED THE MONEY AND GOTTEN THE 6600 LIKE I HAVE. IT DOES JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THE 7700 DOES FOR HALF THE; PRICE. NOT TO KNOCK THE 7700 AS IT IS A NICE MACHINE TOO , BUT IF MONEY IS THE OBJECT IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING THE DECISION THERE IS NO QUESTION THE 6500-6600 ARE SUFFICIENT.

Good Advice Barbz

Buying a machine is like buying a car. You have to test drive to see if it works for you. Once you decide on the brand and model, you will probably wish you had this feature or that feature, but for the most part, you'll be happy with your new machine.

I found out that Janome is not for me - I went with Babylock instead.

Hope you two will be very happy.

My friend has the 6500 and loves it.

Just so you know...they had a limited edition Bernina's at the Essex Junction quilt expo that cost $10,500 on sale. What could make a machine cost so much? Did I misread the price? about 40 years ago I bought a machine from a newspaper by paying $20 a month. It probably cast $100. When it came it weighed a ton. I think it was made if iron. I never sewed on it because I bought a Kenmore.

I don't have either of these machines (yet!) but for about 6 months now have been reading all I can find on the different brands - Pfaff, Janome, Husqvarna, Bernina, because I'm trying to decide whether to invest in one of these bigger machines for quilting. I've also joined forums and discussion groups. My impression is that on the whole, Janome owners are the happiest with their machines. Yes, there are some horror stories, and there are undoubtedly "lemons" out there that just don't do what they should - and I know about that,, because I have another Janome model that's given me endless trouble. However, having started my search for a new machine saying "anything but a Janome", I'm now thinking that I may well go for the 6500, 6600 or Horizon, as long as I can find a helpful dealer and can spend a good long time test-driving a machine thoroughly.

You will not be disappointed! I too sewed with a Simple Singer and it was hard to quilt and not really any fancy stithes or anything. I bought a Janome 6500 in Feb. and I Love It. I does so many things. Everyone that had sewed with simple stuff be fore should have one. Also, it's very easy to figure out. Go For It!!!

i perfer 6600

I bought my 6500 eight years ago and have never been disappointed in my decision. I too had used a Singer for many years but the 6500 is a dream. I don't know anything about the others, I just know that the 6500 has done everything I wanted it to do.

You've all been wonderful to share your thoughts and recommendations. It may be difficult to find a 6600 under $1,000 but it appears there may be a few out there. I saw one go on eBay last night for about $220 but I'm not sure it had the extension table and original accessories with it and condition was questionable. I've contacted the few dealers in my area and not one of them have a 6500/6600 in stock, new or used. I think patience and price will be the determining factors. If I can be patient I'll wait and see if I can find a good deal on a 6600. If I get impatient, I'll settle for a 6500 - and probably be very happy with it. If any of you know of any great deals on these machines, new or used, send me a PM. I have the ability to fly free to anywhere in the US so I may just take off and check out a few of them :) Thanks again.

I waited until the next big quilt show to get my 6600P, and I also bought a Gem at the same time, getting an even better deal. Because it was a show special, I got several hundred dollars off and was able to get a bundle package of thread, 1/4" walking foot, and the machine traveling luggage. I had to wait a couple weeks for the 6600P to arrive at my local shop, but I was able to take the Gem home right then and play with it first.

Someday when I can get a longarm, I'll do the same by taking advantage of a show special. If you do this also, I recommend making sure that your service contract is with a nearby shop rather than one a half-state away.

Also, a lot of shops will put their class models on sale after a quilt show. They've only been used once or twice during the show, come with a full warranty and service plan. Do your homework and you can get a great deal. Sorry if I'm sounding like a commercial. I'm going to back to finish my 4th of July table runner now, lol.

I have the 6600 and LOVE LOVE LOVE it, especially the Acufeed feature. I use it (Acufeed) almost all of the time. I can't comment on the 6500, since I've never used it, but if you go for the 6600, you won't regret it. The suggestions to look for a used one sound like good advice.

I really like my 6500. It sews nicely and it's easy to learn and master the machine. I especially like that it's a short shank machine and I can trade feet with my Brother Quattro.

I had wondered about the short shank. I knew the 6600 didn't have a short shank. I have bought several feet (short shank) for my current machine and it would be nice to be able to use them. The Scotch side of me starts thinking about that saving money. The other side of me thinks about the difference in features of the 6500 and 6600.

Piecelover - Do you use a walking foot on your 6500?

The Accufeed IS a GREAT feature ... and I know because I have the 6600. I had a Pfaff with the IDF, and I could not have left my Pfaff if the 6600 didn't have dual feed. I know at least 20+ quilters & sewers who have the 6600 and love it. That's why I bought mine. If you haven't used a machine with dual feed, then the difference may not matter to you. :)

I bought a White serger, the thread guard broke and I took it in for repair. They went 3 months and couldn't get replacement parts. To make a long story short I traded it in for a Janome serger, then later bought the 6600 Love both.
As for the White, the part they need is still on back order, the other day I saw a White serger, w/video, for sale at a gr sale.
Sures looked like the one I traded in about 4 years ago.
I would never buy another White machine.

Lol, my first machine was a White and I had it for 20 years. It was just a basic machine, and was really a workhorse (long before computers, I think the wheel had barely been invented). When that died I bought another White, and it was okay for about 10 years. Then I caught the quilting bug and bought the White Quilting machine w/video and it was a piece o' crap. I'll never buy another White either. They just aren't made the way they used to be. I love my 6600, and keep wondering what the big hubbub is about the Bernina's. I'm afraid to try one out, because I might like it.

I have the 6500 and love it. Have had it for about 7 years. I have never tried out the 6600 so don't have an opinion on it. I'm sure you will love either one.

I HAVE HEARD AND READ THAT BERNINA'S ARE LIKE ALL THE OTHER USED TO BE GREAT MACCHINES. BUT DON'T HAVE ONE BECAUSE THEY ARE SO PRICY. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY 6600

I have the 6600 and love it!! Just bought it last year... can't really say much about the 6500. I bought the highest end machine for the money I had. Buy the best you can within your budget. There are always going to be other things you want, but most of probably couldn't afford a machine that did everything we wanted!

I,m really new to this.
Do these machines do FMQ and do you use them on a frame?

Wow. I've read two negative comments in this thread about Berninas from people who've not even test driven the machine. LOL.

I own a Janome AND a Bernina. Love both for different reasons. You will get more for your buying dollar with a Janome and the Bernina remains to be the best made, quality machine (not plastic) on the market. You'll be very happy with your Janome.

I tried one a couple of weeks ago and would buy one today if I had the money. It was great. I don't think you will be disappointed.