quiltedrunner

Does anyone here have a Bernina 180 or experience with one? Pros? Cons? I have found one for about $750 and am wondering if that might be a good deal or bad deal?! :?

Thanks!!! HUGS

Quilter7x

GET IT!!!

I just got a used one with the embroidery unit for just over that. I LOVE this machine. I've been doing mostly stippling on mine so far, but really love it.

I have a Janome, but get "whiskers" on the back side when I do stippling on it. I used a Bernina last year and fell in love with the wonderful stitching for free motion quilting and decided I needed one for that. I have not done very much regular sewing with it, but one thing to know is that it has wide feed dogs. They are 9 mm and I believe the standard is 5 mm. Where that plays a role is that it is more difficult to do 1/4" piecing because the feed dogs are wider than the 1/4" presser foot. Some people use a standard presser foot, some prefer the 1/4" foot. I haven't sewn enough on it to have a preference yet.

quiltedrunner

Have you done any piecing on it? Any embroidery at all yet?

quiltedrunner

I'm mostly a Pfaff girl... and I guess change makes me a little nervous!

Quilter7x

(I just modified my post above as you were quoting me).

I have not done any embroidery on it, but all my friends who have Bernina's love the way it does embroidery. I'm in the process of taking lessons on my machine at a LQS and have decided to wait for the lesson on embroidery before doing any of it on my own. I could probably figure it out with the video, but a hands on lesson would be so much easier.

Quilter7x

Funny you should say that because I was a die-hard Janome gal before using this Bernina in a class last year. When you don't know what else is out there, you really don't know! I never thought I would own anything but a Janome and will never give up my Janome, but this Bernina is excellent for free motion quilting.

quiltedrunner

Thanks for all your help!

sewgray

I've had one for about 9 years now and I love it. That's a good price if it's been serviced on a regular basis.

LeslieSkelly

I love my 180...I sew on it all the time...I am just now taking classes to learn to embroidery. Bernina is my favorite.

Quilter7x

Did you get the machine?