Onebyone

The dealers here won't price match Amazon price at all or I would have bought from one. I saved enough through Amazon to pay for several yearly check ups, here, only the first one was offered by the dealer for free. The dealer has no idea where I bought my name brand machine, but he is happy to have it in for service. Bernina is now being sold online. My cousin bought a brand new Bernina sewing and embroidery machine 500 series online last week at an online sewing machine site. Probably be at Amazon soon. The dealers in the know are gearing up for better repair service and fast turnaround for those repairs. At $200 for a cleaning and general check up for the higher end machines the profit is much better then selling one machine a week.

Onebyone

auntdeb

Ditto this. As a portable though, it will pull your wrist bones out of place - HEAVY! But it is the go to for heavy duty stuff like mending jeans, upholstery, leather or just many layers.

quiltedsunshine

There are 2 Berninas that might fit in your price range. The 215 is around $700, but only has utility stitches. The 330 is around $900. Berninas don't have as many bells and whistles because of the oscillating hook system. Drop-in bobbin and rotary hook machines can have a thread cutter and bobbin sensor, and can do wider decorative stitches. But the oscillating hook (probably like your old Kenmore) still gives the best stitch quality.

But then, I don't think people really know what good stitch quality is. You can recognize a good stitch by sewing a zig-zag with a dark thread in the top and a light thread in the bobbin. When you look at the back, the top thread has just a "tick" showing. The bobbin thread doesn't pull to the top, and the "tick" that's showing on the back is even. We can get that with most Berninas. But we don't expect that quality stitch from a rotary hook. Some drop-in bobbins can achieve that with light sewing. Your trade-off is a jammed and damaged plastic bobbin case when you try to sew layers or thick fabrics.

piker6ca

I have had a Opal for about 2 years now and no problems what so ever .
Sewing on it about 3 hours a day and just keeps going.