Janome 6600 or 7700?
 

I’m trying to decide between the Janome 6600 or the 7700. Is the extra throat space worth the extra dollars? Any suggestions? I’m not close to any dealer where I can try them out. I would appreciate any suggestions you can give me.

I tried the 7700 a few years ago at a major quilt show and fell in love with it. I didn't buy it because I have a longarm and don't need it for fmq. The 6600 also does not have the free arm feature to sew small cuffs on sleeves, etc. Don't know if that would be important to you.

here is a link to this same discussion back in 2010. Pretty sure it has some of the info you are looking for. If all else is equal, the larger throat space is a wonderful thing whether you free motion quilt or not. No experience with the 7700, but I do have the 6600 and it has been an awesome workhorse for me. Would not give it up. 10 years and not one issue with it ever.

https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f...cp-t65049.html

skip the 7700. it uses the old accufeed system, which is vastly inferior to the new one.
if you want to step up to an 11" throat, start your search at the 8700 and work your way up the Horizon line until you find the one that best fits your budget.
i am self-indulgent when it comes to my machines, so i must have an extension table. that's included with the 8900. i love, love, love mine.

i have the 7700 and i love mine but my sister bought the 8900 and she loves hers also. i would say either or is good. but i think the 8900 is a newer made machine

the 6600 OMG, I have so many friends with this work horse and they love them. I have used theirs and I would love one among my herd.

I love my 6600! So glad that I bought it and I have from so many others that they wish they would have bought the 6600 instead of whatever they did buy. I don't know what the price difference between the 2 you are comparing, but I do not regret my purchase. I will 2nd the earlier comment about the 6600 not having the free arm to work on cuffs and pant legs.

I don't know anything about the 7700, but I have had my 6600 for 6-1/2 years, and I wouldn't give it up for anything. I have it professionally cleaned every 1-1/2 to 2 years and have made zillions of quilts and other things with it. It truly is a work horse! My repairman told me it is the most popular of all the machines he services! Before I got my longarm, I used it to FMQ all my quilts (including king-sized).

I agree with not getting the 7700 but I also would not get the 6600 because of the no free arm and it is missing one decorative stitch that I use all the time for quilting. It's the serpentine stitch that is no #30 mode 3 on my 8200. If you don't need the extra decorative the 8200 is the same as the 8900. If there is a considerable price difference the 8200 is great. One thing to know, you must use the single hole bobbin throat cover for free motion. It is a must. The machine will not let you change the needle position from the center point so that's a great feature. The 11 inch throat is wonderful for quilting. I love this machine but use my 3160 for piecing.

I agree with others----skip the 7700 as the updates on the newer ones are well worth it. The 8200 is what I have and yes, hands down, absolutely, 100% worth the extra throat space over a 6600 or 6500, plus it has the free arm which is a must for something like sleeves, hems, etc.
Think about whether you want to wrestle a quilt through 6" throat space or 11" . It's a no-brainer if you can swing it financially. You won't regret it for a second.

My 8200 is quiet, fast, has more stitches than I can use (but I have played with them all), multiple button hole options (none of which I've used because I'm not a garment sewer, but I would like to experiment someday). I've never had to change the needle plate. Doing FMQ on it is a dream. The auto tension is perfect--never had trouble with it. THe auto thread cutter is something I'd have a hard time doing witout now. Love that. It has a knee lift I've never used but am about to experiment. Can't say enough good about it.

See if you can find a "rebox"--one that was returned by a customer if you can, used just a few hours, or a floor model sale. I got a rebox that was a fabulous price--only $200 bucks more than I was finding for a very used 7700.