bigredharley

I have to agree with the group. I have a Bernina handed down from my mom that still purrs like a kitten, and recently bought the 820QE on a frame - because of my experience with Bernina, I didn't hesitate putting that much money into it. You will be glad you got the embroidery - I was sure it wasn't my "thing" but it turns out I use it a lot.

Good luck and let us know what you decided.

RST

I agree that the higher end Bernina, with BSR, etc, is a wonderful thing to have, and the price sounds great.

The only thing that would give me pause -- most people when they upgrade will trade in their older model to the dealer -- often the dealers make that a very attractive way to do the deal. So someone selling independently, hmmmm -- I would just want to have it well checked out by the dealer of your choice.

As for the classes and instruction -- I think you can get a lot of good input online with videos and tutorials and information from the Bernina website. It can be really helpful to have hands-on input when you run into problems, but that's not essential, assuming that the machine is working in prime condition. The BSR is one of those things that takes some getting used to. A huge percentage of the "problems" are user-error, and are sometimes hard to figure out what you're doing wrong without an outside set of eyes. If you have someone in your area who is experienced in using it, make friends and hang out a few times to get a feel for what it looks like working right.

RST

Prism99

I would go and try out the Craigslist Bernina. Since the person who is selling it clearly knows how to use the machine, she can show you a few things. It would be a better buy than a machine with fewer bells and whistles.

quiltstringz

Actually at least in my experience that is not true. In fact the machine shops around here will tell you that you will get a much better price if you sell it yourself.

ragquilter

n
With a dealer, you will get a warranty and maybe some other goodies. The dealer may also know their trade ins because they are probably the one who has been servicing the machine. I bought 2 used machines from a dealer and he gave me a 1 year warranty and a free service at the end of the year,plus he was able to give me both machines history as they were originally purchased from him. That is worth a lot instead of a pig in a poke. Try other dealers, even if you have to drive a bit to find someone you are comfortable with. I also like annie123's idea of having the machine looked over by a repairman. Can you find out where the machine was bought and serviced?

Skyangel

That is a great price, I would probably go for it myself. I would make sure it has been serviced - either recently or take it myself - and make the purchase dependent on a good report from the tech.

I have a Bernina 440 with the BSR and embroidery that I bought used from a private party. Like you, I did not think I was interested in the embroidery but it was a package deal at a good price. I have found I do enjoy doing embroidery, whether quilt labels, embroidered dish towels for a quick gift, or custom shirts.

My dealer has an "adoption" program that I purchased to get all the classes I want plus servicing for a year. There is a series of 6 classes for the machine and 3 for the embroidery, well worth taking. You can also download the workbooks for free and work through the lessons. Download the workbooks here:

http://www.keizerbernina.com/my-bernina-workbooks.htm

Hope you enjoy it!

Candace

Yup, I second this. I know my local dealers offer significantly less because they have to allow for a margin of profit for them to resell it.

Ask if the owner has receipts for servicing to see how well the machine has been taken care of. There should have been at least a few services. If the owner doesn't have the receipts ask for a serial # and where they took the machine for service. You may be able to work out classes (for a fee) from the original store that sold it. And they should be able to look up the machine serial # to tell you what the history of the machine is.

Mitch's mom

And don't dawdle about making a decision. It will go fast this close to Christmas.

Maia B

I have several Berninas, from older mechanicals to newer computerized models, and I only bought 2 new, and one of those was on closeout. One used machine was from a Bernina dealer, with a one-year warranty and classes (which I never took). The others were from private sellers. So use all appropriate caution, but go for it! Super price if all is legit and in good working order.

I've been away from QB for quite some time, hugs to my pals here hope everyone is well.

paulswalia

I love my Bernina - brought it home, took it out of the box and have sewed, almost every day since (2 years now) and by keeping it clean and oiled myself have never needed service. Now, the BSR. I thought I HAD to have it. Paid the extra and find now that I can FMQ as well without it as with it. Would I buy it again - probably not, knowing what I know now. But the Bernina itself - oh ya - in a heart beat!