Machine suggestions please
 

Both of my machines died. May they rest in pieces at the shop.

Looking for reliable machine for piecing quilts with harp at least 6" around $500.00. $600.00 is my limit.Plan to test drive next month when I get paid.

You know you'll get lots of opinions. I love my Brothers machines. They aren't the high end machines, nor the lowest end ones, but they do the job I want them to, and are easy to operate. I don't quilt on them, but I do piece my quilts on them and they do a great job. The last one I bought, I got it on ebay from someone who was selling their unused machine. It was -- and is -- still going strong. Good luck on finding one you like for the price you want to pay.

Check with your sewing machine dealer to see if they have a Janome machine trade in. They are good, dependable mach8nes. you can get a great machine used,,or ask for a demo or quilt show machine. Janomes have metal parts, many other machines have plastic, so ask your dealer. I wish you good hunting.

Are you a member of a quilting group or a guild? Ask if any of them have a machine they would like to sell? From time to time my local Goodwill or Salvation Army will have sewing machines in their shops. Or just pass the word among your friends that you are shopping for a good used machine. One just never knows where a good solid low cost machine is hiding.

I am always happy with a Brother machine, even the ones at Walmart. I was given a bottom of the line one and it works fine. No bells and whistles. I have an older electronic one which sews through anything and then about 15 years ago bought myself a relatively inexpensive one with the alphabet. All worked straight out of the box with no issues with thread or tension. I now mostly use a PQ1500 for piecing (because I don't think piecing needs any bells and whistles, YMMV) and I also FMQ with it. It takes any thread.

People will recommend vintage machines. I like them too and have a "herd" of them. But they are not always available where and when you want one and then some of them need to be "rehabbed".

I'm a Brother gal from way back. I've had other machine but always sold them and went back to Brother. I'm a quilter, too and my favorite machine has been my Brother Nouvelle 1500 that I've had for 14 years. It's a straight-stitch only semi-industrial machine. I've never had a problem with it. I've moved it across the country many times and it still sews great. I just upgraded 2 years ago to a Brother BQ3100. It has an 11" harp space. It was pricey but I'm 77 so I figured it would be my last machine purchase. I love Brother machines because they are quiet and so user friendly.

I really like the Jamone 3160QDC. It's great for piecing and very reliable. There are some great summer sales going on right now. I bet you'll be able to find a great machine in your price range.

If you want a machine that will last for years with little maintenance I suggest a Juki TL 2010. It's straight stitch only with all the features you would want. Speed control, auto thread cutter, knee lift, pressure control and large harp space. On sale at times for $800. The 2000 TL is in your price range but has no speed control but an excellent machine. If you need a zig zag or decorative stitches buy an inexpensive Brother later on to go with the Juki. They are good machines to have for back up too.
Juki Junkies is an excellent Juki dealer. They test every machine before shipping and shipping is free. The best customer service of any dealer I have delt with. If there is a low price on any Juki they will have it.

I paid around $300 for my newest Bernette. It has a walking foot set up and programmable stitches.

I'm rather fond of vintage machines. There are no computers to fail, so no expensive fixes or trips to the landfill. Maintenance is usually only a few drops of oil. Though I prefer treadles and hand crank machines, even the vintage electrics will have enough bells and whistles to do what you need, and the electrical components can be easily fixed. They are also very inexpensive.