Where I bought my Janome, the two guys at the place service all machines. My Janome is 8 years old and I've never had it in for service but I clean the lint out and oil the wick myself.

I bought a new Janome with a "dealer" and before I had even completed the "free training," she had health issues, closed the shop, no one is near. I never had the free training completed.

I have paid an online Janome dealer to take online training classes.

I would like to have the Janome serviced and there is no dealer around.

Buying from a dealer is not a guarantee as soon as you walk out the door....

I wouldn't do it. My QVP Mini has a 5 year warranty but that is based on me taking it in every year for servicing. I'm not sure how you would accomplish that without a dealer within driving distance.

I so understand. The closest dealership of any machine is about 50 miles unless I go to JAF for a Viking. That I am not comfortable with. I love my older Janome, it needs to go in for repair right now and I haven't been going anywhere with COVID so that has to wait. I am doing all my sewing right now on a FW. I so want to upgrade.
So if I want to buy something I have to buy without trying and online which I am not likely to do right now. I want a dealer and feel pretty strongly that I need a dealer close by. So I am still looking around.

I am fortunate that there is a Sewing Machine/Vacuum repair shop within a mile of my home. They are also dealers of Pfaff, Viking, and Husqvarna. Not sure they may have other machines - but they repair and sell used machines. I also have Sewing Machines Plus within a 15 mile drive and a Bernina dealer/quilt shop 18 miles away. And a Janome dealer/quilt shop is about 12 miles. I have taken my Janome MC6600P in once in 10 years. My Husqvarna is an embroidery machine and it went in once in 8 years. (Turned out my machine did not like bobbin thread while embroidering.) And since I do clean out my machines on a regular basis both repair shops said my machines were so clean they weren't sure why I brought them in. My concern would be in case you get a lemon - which does happen. I quit ordering anything mechanical from QVC because I was getting things that didn't work as well as they should. So I buy local where if it doesn't work right I can return it easily.

Maybe it's because I grew up in Alaska and have lived fairly remote -- some of us don't have much of a choice or any dealers near us, I'd rather have the machine I want than pick another brand just because they have a local storefront.

Now that I live in town, I really prefer dealing with the repair guy at the Viking shop. I was given a Bernina which is a different shop and I really don't like their attitude over there as much. Hadn't been there for a number of years and the Bernina needed a repair, they were better but I still like my other guy so next time I'll use him.

I purchased my Janome from a dealer who then retired. So much for that

I purchased my BabyLock Tiara second hand and approached the Handi Quilter dealer out of town for service. He wanted me to bring it in, but gave me the number of another sewing machine repair shop in town and they came and serviced it in-house when I said I couldn't move it.

I'm not sure if Juki is the kind of machine that *only* a Juki repairperson can fix, but if that is the case, it isn't something I would buy unless I really couldn't live without that particular machine.

Watson

The location of a trusted repair person would be higher priority to me.

I prefer to purchase from local businesses because I want them to stay in business.

I have that exact machine and no dealer nearby. I now realize that it was a mistake. If a place is not an authorized dealer, Juki will not send them any parts to "ensure quality control" which means that you do have to have it repaired by a dealer. I had to ship mine 1300 miles. That adds a huge shipping cost plus additional time not being able to use it. While I was given information about the machine while I was first looking, there are always questions later on down the road. Furthermore, Juki is not known for its customer support. I like the machine, but I would never do it again.

Lee, check with the local Bernina dealer, Blue Crab is their shop name, they’re in the far west end, near short pump. They sell the Juki straight stitch only machine, but I don’t know if they are an authorized Juki repair shop. Other than that, the closest Juki dealer that I know of is Fabric Hut in tidewater.

Rob