New Machine - Which One?
 

I am new to quilting and am looking to purchase my first machine. I am a fast learner. I am looking at the Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist. I'd really like to have some advice from those of you who have been quilting for a long time. Thanks in advance for your help.

The Singers do not have such a good reputation now days. The brothers, or viking or bernina are good and there are some others. I hope others chime in to help you.

I bought a Bernina when I first started quilting and love it.

Welcome to the board! I would probably look into the Brother machines if I were buying. My first sewing machine was a sweet basic Brother machine. I then upgraded to another Brother once I got to the USA, (had to leave my first one behind:() I have one of the newer Singers too, but I was not impressed with it at all. Enjoy shopping and learning to quilt! I look forward seeing your projects.

I have the Singer Quantum and love it. I'm not biased because I have a Bernina, Janome, two Brother machines. I like all of them. Buy what you can afford with the features you want. I would consider the Eversewn Sparrow 25. It isn't expensive and you can have a good machine and not worry about spending so much and can upgrade later on to what you know you want a machine to do or not do.

I have a Babylock Melody that I love and have recently gotten the Eversewn Sparrow 20 which has 80 stitches for under $300 and I really like it too!

Welcome to the board. I would make a list of features that you want on a machine, then go from there. This machine has a very small throat, I think it's 6.5", so if you are thinking about quilting a large quilt, it may be difficult. In addition to quilting, are you planning on other types of sewing? What are you planning on doing with the decorative stitches? As mentioned, singer's aren't what they used to be.

I have no faith in the new Singers - the quality control just isn't there.

What I would recommend depends on your situation. Do you think you're likely to quilt for years, or do you "dabble" and switch between hobbies? If you're a dabbler, I would suggest a basic Brother machine. If you think you will want to sew for years, a better machine is worth the investment.

Based on your choice of the Quantum 9960, I assume you're looking for a more than a basic machine. I suggest you look at the Janome 3160 - it's a great machine, and it comes with lots of quilting extras (extension table, walking foot, 1/4-inch piecing foot, etc). It's light but powerful, with a nice quiet motor, and excellent general quality. Buying from a dealer can also provide better support if you run into problems.

If you don't have a Janome dealer nearby, the Brother PC420PRW is a machine that lots of people recommend. It's available through Amazon, and probably some big box stores. It has a very similar feature set to the Janome 3160.

Whatever machine you pick, welcome to quilting! It's a wonderful hobby. You can find lots of inspiration, ideas and support on this board.

I haven't used the singer but it is one of the most popular models

For quality at a low price, I would look at the Eversewn machines.

Cari