JanieW

I have the Janome MC 9400. As you mentioned, you have to choose the Accufeed Flex icon on the display to engage it when you are using the Accufed Flex feet. Then you get a message to remind you to use the correct foot.

I don't know if that is the case for the 8900. The icon for the Accufeed looks like three triangles pointing down to two parallel horizontal lines. If you have that icon on your machine I assume that you need to select it in order to engage the Accufeed.

Simcoethree

Getting closer to a decision. I spent some time sewing on the Brother NQ1300, it sewed terrific and the fmq was pretty good without changing anything except for selecting the FMQ setting from the menu. But there were problems - I really didn’t like the threading; the take up lever was mostly covered in plastic and mostly inaccessible. I don’t know about anyone else, but in my experience when a thread shreds and breaks, it ends up hanging off the take up hook...so I could see that as problem to come. The space around the needle was very cramped, I noticed it when changing a presser foot and I have small hands. As well, the refurbished model I was sewing on had a non functioning pivot button (the one beside the display screen that makes the pivot “permanent”) and all the dealer could say was that it was refurbished and hadn’t been seen by the tech yet...hmmm. Anyway, I didn’t much care for how the menus and stitch selection worked, wasn’t as intuitive as I thought it might be. So, that model is out of the running.
Sewed briefly on 6700 at a dealer - about what I expected from that machine! And then, I sewed on a Janome 9450 - I think that was a mistake, lol. I played on the 9450 for a bit because I could get a feel for the display screen and menu, as its similar to the Skyline S7. I’ve realized that the Skyline, with the add ons I’d like - extension table, and AccuFeed single foot (the standard dual feed foot I feel is still a little bulky) - would cost too much for a smallish machine, especially as my go to sewing machine dealer has offered me a great deal on the 6700....but, dh and I are in negotiations about the 9450! It’s the Skyline S7 and the 6700 kinda rolled into one . I’ll be very happy with the 6700, but that 9450 sure has everything that I could ask for!!