So, I was all set on the 6500P and along came a 6600....
 

But, it doesn't specify "P". Is this a concern?

The 6600 is a real stretch for me, financially.....Is it really worth it for an amateur who just does small quilts/wallhangings and some FMQ?

Thanks!

Watson

what maker are your machines... i've found two so far

Sounds like Janome. The 6600 has the acufeed system which is like a built in walking foot that the 6500 doesn't have. The 6600 is a heavy machine that I was told would be suitable for quilting or if you were a seamstress. I had mine for a year and then traded it in for the 7700 when it came out. Still have the 7700. If you had a choice I'd go with the 7700, they should be pretty close in price now since they've come out with at least 2 other machines higher on the food chain than the 7700.

There will always be a machine that does more (or does the same things differently) and costs more. Find out what the differences are between the models you're considering and decide whether they justify the cost difference for you.

I have owned the janome 6500 for over ten years and quilted nearly daily including Cal King size quilts, 10x10 ft. I now do those big ones on a long arm but I still enjoy quilting small quilts on the 6500, especially preemie baby quilts for the NICU.
I felt no need to go to any of the newer ones.

I didn't look at the Janome 6500, I just browsed a few local quilt shops. I didn't know what I was doing enough to compare. I bought the Janome 6600 and I LOVE it. I never thought of myself as a serious sewer either, but I keep doing more and more.

I am hoping that with this work horse of a machine I won't have to buy another one (but then I did :) I bought a smaller Janome Magnolia to take with me)

Hi there
I have the 6500 and love using it. I came to it from a 30+ yo mechanical singer, and the features on the 6500 were (and still are) tremendous for me.

Now, with a couple of years of using it, I still love it for piecing, but my removable walking foot never seems to work quite the way I feel it should, and I often use the hopping foot for SITD rather than faff about with the WF. If I had a windfall I would definitely look at the 6600, purely for the built-in walking foot.

My feeling is that if you could stretch to the 6600 you would be happier in the long-run, but if the budget won't sustain the extra, then you would still get a great machine with the 6500.......

Cheers, K
(maybe I should ask Santa for a new WF lol)

Welcome Watson. I usually tell quilters to attend a quilt show where you can really test out a large assortment of sewing machines and see what fits best your price range and your needs. I am still quilting on the same Bernina 1530 that I bought in the late 90s. Buying a sewing machine is just like buying a car. Good luck!

LOL....buying a Bernina is like buying a car as they cost just as much!.....I have the 6600 (bought used a few years ago) and love what she can do.....It does have a couple things that I never use (knee lift and the button to sew/stop) but that is just old habits....I do love the accufeed system and rarely sew anything without using one of the 3 accufeed feet that I have....I do fmq and straight line quilting on king size quilts up to 110x110.....I do use most of the deco stitches and love the auto cut.....I don't like the built in alphabet, just doesn't look good to me....mine is currently in the shop for a good cleaning and adjustments and am being forced to use daughter's cheapo brother.....wow what a difference....mine will sew through 4 layers of quilting cotton, each with fusible fleece....this one is an absolute "NO".....I will be so glad to get her back!

Thanks for all your input. Lots to think about. Counting my pennies, I think I'm likely going to staying with the 6500 from an economics standpoint unless something amazing crops up. I live in Canada, so our prices are a lot different from yours, plus we pay 13% tax on everything.....Have to take that into account. Thanks again!