pocoellie

I have 1 computerized machine, the rest of my machines are all vintage/antique. You just can't beat the stitch quality of a vintage machine.

quiltedsunshine

I had to trade my old, mechanical Bernina (1030) for a new Bernina (230) because I wanted the blanket-stitch for applique.

Now, I want a newer Bernina so I can have the jumbo bobbin, and the wider stitch plate hole for bigger alphabets and decorative stitches, and a touch screen. Some of those stitches are so cute! I want a 5 Series, Next Generation for the bigger throat space, and led lights under the ceiling of the throat space. And it even has a bigger motor! And I'd love to get into machine embroidery!

Alas... my budget does't agree.

cathyvv

I usually don't look for too much in a machine I use for piecing. I have Brother machines, usually from Walmart. I like the computerized, but that's probably because I have a computer system background and that stuff appeals to me.

I have two Brother mechanical machines, no bells and whistles. One is for travel. The other is living in my home in NJ and used when I am there. They work fine for what I do.

One of my computerized machines is in my dining/sewing room. It is quieter than the mechanical, so less disruption to my DH when he is watching TV. It has a number of stitches which I rarely use BECAUSE I can't keep steady pressure on the pedal due to inherited neuropathy. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!) As a result, the decorative stitches sew out inconsistently. I do seem to be able to keep steady pressure long enough to work on a place mat. I need a machine with speed control, but am not buying another machine for that.

The other is in the garage, and keeps my LA company. I do use it, but not nearly as much as I thought I would. It has a slightly larger throat than the one in my dining room, which is why I bought it. I think I even used that extra space once!

If one of the computerized machines fails and can't be brought back to life, I will get another Brother, computerized, with stitches AND a thread cutter. I used one with a thread cutter for awhile, and fell in love with that feature. It saves so much bobbin thread, and I do hate to change the bobbin. It also had a needle threader, but it never worked for me.

quiltingshorttimer

Until I tried my Elna Quilt Pro Queen 9 yrs ago, I worked on a Deluxe mechanical, which had been an upgrade when my kids (now 30's ) were babies. I paid a pretty penny (although not as much as list as I bought at a show and not as much as some of these newer ones) and it was well worth it. I love the needle up/down feature, the lock stitch for starting/stopping a stitch line, the ability to move the needle over and also ability to drop the presser feet, a built in walking foot, a hopping foot, about 23 fancy stitches, including limited monograms, and speed control (nice when FMQ). When I gave my $90 Brother to my DIL, I needed a new travel machine for sew days at guild, retreats, classes. I purchased a Brother (Simplicity??) that is a much cheaper computerized (so is the Elna) with many of those same features without the multitude of stitches. I will never buy another machine without a needle up/down feature! So while I have a treadle, the Deluxe, a Conway industrial and a Gammill Long Arm, I truly love that Elna--both the wonderful stitches and the ease of use.

sewbizgirl

I'm not sure we have the same definition of "techniques".... Features are what comes on your machine. Techniques are what your hands do with those features.

I have several vintage machines, and a Juki 2010Q and also a Juki long arm. I am happy to sew on my old Singers that only straight stitch, but do love the features on the Jukis... the auto thread cutters, the needle up or down features, and the awesome throat space.

QuiltMom2

My old Kenmore still gets taken out and used enough to keep it functional.

coffeecozy

There is no question that stitch quality was the most important consideration when I tested my new machine.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with my old machine so I have to admit the gizmos are what made me look at the new one (pfaff icon, , another computer with a needle). The power, throat space, the stitch tensioning and ease of use sold me on it but I first fell for the beautiful decorative stitches (I do use them a lot), the fancy on board stitch techniques like floating stitches and the sewnet connectivity that allows me to easily transfer embroideries and stitches between machines and from my computer.
If I didn't have it I would happily stitch away on my old black singer. I know it won't last as long as my old black singer. I know there will be days when I get lost and frustrated trying to master some computer related function but for all the other days, I love it!
I love trying new sewing techniques too.

SusieQOH

I do wish my Bernina had the larger bobbin. That would be awesome.

feline fanatic

It has been my experience that more often than not (which means not always) you get what you pay for. For decades I sewed on my JC Penny branded machine circa 1978. I still have this machine but I never use it and really should get rid of it but I want a backup. Was this machine fuctional? Yes by all means it was. It sewed a decent stitch or so I thought. I decided I was worth an upgrade around 2000. I actually posted on an internet forum back then about it and everyone said "get a vintage machine". Well I had a vintage machine I wanted something better. I had heard of Bernina and decided to check them out. I bought my 153QE which was considered a mid-range Bernina and at that time they still manufactured them in Switzerland.
As soon as I got it set up and could really play with it I was amazed at how much nicer it was to sew on. Getting a perfect 1/4" was a breeze. Having a foot with 1/4" markings both in front and behind the needle made doing set in seams a walk in the park. Stitch quality was great and what a wonder to have a machine that didn't bog down when having to go over multiple seam allowances. The foot controller was so responsive. The knee bar for the presser foot is now a feature I can't live without. Same with being able to set the machine so the needle always stops in the down position and if I forget just tap the foot pedal once. Sewing on my Bernina as compared to my "vintage" 1978 all metal, all mechanical JC Penny machine was a dream! My enjoyment of sewing in general and quilting specifically increased exponentially and I could not for the life of me figure out why I waited so long. Not only did my enjoyment increase but the quality of my workmanship improved, greatly. I was empowered to try even more difficult patterns and techniques.

Do I use the fancy stitches or computerized features? Nope, hardly at all. 99% of my sewing is straight stitch. Occasionally I will do a ziz zag or a blanket stitch and very, very rarely will I use any of the fancy stitches. I have a longarm for quilting so I rarely use it for FMQ but I did before I got my LA. A quality machine with a price tag that is several hundred dollars to a couple of thousand, is not necessarily just fancy stitches and computerized embroidery. You have to also look at what the machine is capable of doing for the purpose it was originally designed to. Make a quality straight stitch and power through several layers. I can and have sewn leather on my Bernina. My JC Penny would bog down and skip stitches. I suspect some of the low end big box machines would as well.

A couple of years ago I went to visit my mom in Vegas and brought a quilt top to work on. She had a no name QVC el cheapo special of a sewing machine. I suspect when she got it she paid maybe $125 to $150 for it. I had been spoiled on my Bernina. When I sat down at that machine it was a nightmare. Now my mom doesn't sew really at all so I have no idea why she even bought this machine. Maybe to hem some skirts or something but IMHO she may as well have flushed what she paid for it down the toilet. Getting an accurate 1/4" seam was a nightmare. Getting two layers of quilting cotton to feed evenly was a constant battle. I told her sewing on my machine was like driving a fully loaded Cadillac while sewing on hers was like trying to drive a beat up jalopy that skipped gears and was out of alignment.

So what all this is meant to point out.... It isn't always fancy computerized features and fancy stitches that drive the cost of the machine up. Quality parts, engineering (no matter where it is manufactured, the manufacturing process has to follow the designs of an engineer), quality of materials that go into it all factor in. If a manufacturing facility in Taiwan is not outputting the machines to Bernina's high standards (or Janome, or Juki or whoever's name is going on the machine) they certainly won't keep the contract to do the manufacturing for long. Or the named company won't keep customers long.

Schill93

I took a chance and purchased an older machine on Ebay. I purchased a Baby lock Ellure Pluss III, which is computerized and had all the features I wanted. I don't have good eye sight, so I wanted a reliable needle threader that worked all the time, not sometimes. Also the automatic thread cutter is a must now. I have the knee bar, but haven''t used it yet. I also wanted a dual machine that would do embroidery, and most important was dependable and made with metal parts. I made sure to purchase from a dealer with very good reviews on Ebay.

I paid $700 for the machine, and it came to me spotless with no problems at all. It was fully serviced before shipping. I have been very happy with this machine. The only thing that it is missing is a larger throat space. Perhaps down the road I may buy another machine with a larger throat, but not really pressing to me right now.

I find the Ellure a pleasure to sew with.