sit down long arm
08-12-2019, 03:00 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Webster NY
Posts: 21
sit down long arm
I am in the market for a sit down long or mid arm. I am considering Juki TL 2200qvp, Viking Platinum 16, Sweet Sixteen - they are in my price range. I am trying to find places to test drive them. I would appreciate any thoughts you may have and if anyone has any of these machines I would also appreciate hearing from you.
08-12-2019, 03:58 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 932
Lots and lots of info on the forum if you use the search tool.
Most will lead you to:
Don't take someone else's word/experience as what yours will be. Go to a big quilt show and test drive them all for yourself. It is a big purchase. Look at it as if you are choosing your next car. You wouldn't just buy what someone else has and likes, would you? No, you'd go test drive to make sure it's a good fit for you.
Most will lead you to:
Don't take someone else's word/experience as what yours will be. Go to a big quilt show and test drive them all for yourself. It is a big purchase. Look at it as if you are choosing your next car. You wouldn't just buy what someone else has and likes, would you? No, you'd go test drive to make sure it's a good fit for you.
08-12-2019, 05:03 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Iowa
Posts: 377
I agree with mkc... you really gotta try them out and see for yourself which one suits your needs the best for the way you really want to quilt! It would be a big plus if you could actually use one for a day at a dealer quilting something of your own on your own terms!
This is kinda long, but here is my experience for what its worth...
I have a Nolting Quilting Bee (sitdown longarm). I had visited many quilt shows over a period of years and tried my share of machines available. I wasnt in any hurry - in fact i kept trying to talk myself out of the purchase (need it - or want it?). I have friends who have many, many different brands of machines they all chose for different reasons. I enjoy free motion quilting and only want to quilt for myself. Had i gotten a bigger/more expensive machine i would have felt enormous pressure to make it at least partially pay for itself - i definitely dont want that stress and i know myself well enough at this stage of my life and know that i “just wanna play”!!! 😊
Last year i finally decided that if i wanted one when i retired i better do it now (i am 63). Part of the consideration for me is easy availability to service (Nolting manufacturing is about a half hour away - but they do have dealers all over so, whatever machine you settle on its a good idea to plan on “what if”). Also - i wanted them to bring the machine & set it up - they did! I wanted a machine that was easy to maintain myself - it is. I also wanted a few options (wanted the machine in lilac 😊 and the legs too - also wanted to add needle up/down). My table was included, so whatever machine you decide on find out if the table comes with or is purchased separately.
I dont have a huge sewing room (one of the spare bedrooms left after my sons grew up and moved out to lives of their own). So i measured everything within an inch of its life (over and over and over) to make sure that the machine i decided on would fit comfortably in my room without giving up my ironing station, cutting table, etc - and still have enough room for me and my quilting buddy to move around freely and not feel cramped when we sew all day!
I know it sounds like a lot of stuff to think about when you are so excited you can hardly stand it, but decide whats important for you so you arent disappointed! I am sure there are other things i thought about (in the 5 + years i kept trying to talk myself out of it) but those are the main ones i can think of. I got mine last October (ordered it in August and they built it for me) - no regrets!
This is kinda long, but here is my experience for what its worth...
I have a Nolting Quilting Bee (sitdown longarm). I had visited many quilt shows over a period of years and tried my share of machines available. I wasnt in any hurry - in fact i kept trying to talk myself out of the purchase (need it - or want it?). I have friends who have many, many different brands of machines they all chose for different reasons. I enjoy free motion quilting and only want to quilt for myself. Had i gotten a bigger/more expensive machine i would have felt enormous pressure to make it at least partially pay for itself - i definitely dont want that stress and i know myself well enough at this stage of my life and know that i “just wanna play”!!! 😊
Last year i finally decided that if i wanted one when i retired i better do it now (i am 63). Part of the consideration for me is easy availability to service (Nolting manufacturing is about a half hour away - but they do have dealers all over so, whatever machine you settle on its a good idea to plan on “what if”). Also - i wanted them to bring the machine & set it up - they did! I wanted a machine that was easy to maintain myself - it is. I also wanted a few options (wanted the machine in lilac 😊 and the legs too - also wanted to add needle up/down). My table was included, so whatever machine you decide on find out if the table comes with or is purchased separately.
I dont have a huge sewing room (one of the spare bedrooms left after my sons grew up and moved out to lives of their own). So i measured everything within an inch of its life (over and over and over) to make sure that the machine i decided on would fit comfortably in my room without giving up my ironing station, cutting table, etc - and still have enough room for me and my quilting buddy to move around freely and not feel cramped when we sew all day!
I know it sounds like a lot of stuff to think about when you are so excited you can hardly stand it, but decide whats important for you so you arent disappointed! I am sure there are other things i thought about (in the 5 + years i kept trying to talk myself out of it) but those are the main ones i can think of. I got mine last October (ordered it in August and they built it for me) - no regrets!
08-12-2019, 08:08 PM
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: in the sticks of PA
Posts: 2,307
This is usually the time of year when the quilt shows are going on, you probably have missed many of them but that truly is your best bet to find what you want. Personally I don’t know if there are many sit down machines at the shows because that’s not what I was interested in purchasing. I tried every machine they had available and with some you can get really good deals. Good luck!
08-13-2019, 04:01 AM
#5
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Va.
Posts: 5,752
I agree that you need to try them out. I spent several years going to quilt shows with my own materials and trying out every available sit down. I discovered that I liked just about all of them, but had some favorites. Because we are on a fixed income I needed to find a good condition used machine and armed with my list of favorites I spent another year watching ebay, facebook marketplace and googling used long arms.
I was able to find a barely used Sweet Sixteen with everything I could possibly want on it at a price that fit my budget.
I’ve had it for a year and a half and have no regrets, thanks to having spent lots of time looking.
Of the ones you are looking at: I’m pretty sure that The Viking Platinum16 is made by HQ for Viking and is the same as the Sweet Sixteen. What I liked about the SweetSixteen was: HQ’s great reputation for customer service and the availability of couching feet etc.
The Juki was also one of my favorites due to visibility around the needle and some neat features like having a handwheel in easy reach from the front of the machine which is something that none of the other machines has as far as I know. That feature makes it very easy to position you needle exactly where you want it when starting to stitch.
As you test out different machines you’ll start to get a feel for what features you want.
Rob
I was able to find a barely used Sweet Sixteen with everything I could possibly want on it at a price that fit my budget.
I’ve had it for a year and a half and have no regrets, thanks to having spent lots of time looking.
Of the ones you are looking at: I’m pretty sure that The Viking Platinum16 is made by HQ for Viking and is the same as the Sweet Sixteen. What I liked about the SweetSixteen was: HQ’s great reputation for customer service and the availability of couching feet etc.
The Juki was also one of my favorites due to visibility around the needle and some neat features like having a handwheel in easy reach from the front of the machine which is something that none of the other machines has as far as I know. That feature makes it very easy to position you needle exactly where you want it when starting to stitch.
As you test out different machines you’ll start to get a feel for what features you want.
Rob
08-13-2019, 04:18 AM
#6
Power Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 15,916
I have tried the Juki TL 2200qvp and thought that was what I wanted until the Juki tech said try this one,
a Juki 150 QVP. Both are great but the 150 was easier to machine quilt for me. You have to test for yourself, different models and brands to know which one is for you.
a Juki 150 QVP. Both are great but the 150 was easier to machine quilt for me. You have to test for yourself, different models and brands to know which one is for you.
08-13-2019, 05:23 AM
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,348
I have the BabyLock Tiara, which is the same machine as the Sweet Sixteen and I love it.
One question with these mid arms is do you want the machine head oriented like a domestic or straight on like the Tiara/Sweet Sixteen is? I had no trouble getting used to the difference in orientation and find that it is easier with the open space to your right.
Rob and I both bought ours used and had really good luck, so that might be an option for you to look at as well once you decide what you're looking for. I got mine off of Craigslist with less than 500 000 stitches on it.
Watson
PS...once you get your midarm, have a look at Jamie Wallen's video's on tension and oiling. They are invaluable for getting started.
One question with these mid arms is do you want the machine head oriented like a domestic or straight on like the Tiara/Sweet Sixteen is? I had no trouble getting used to the difference in orientation and find that it is easier with the open space to your right.
Rob and I both bought ours used and had really good luck, so that might be an option for you to look at as well once you decide what you're looking for. I got mine off of Craigslist with less than 500 000 stitches on it.
Watson
PS...once you get your midarm, have a look at Jamie Wallen's video's on tension and oiling. They are invaluable for getting started.
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