mms61371

I have a Bernina and I love it! It was very expensive as are the extra feet and it needs to be serviced once a year. I have an old metal machine my mom bought from fingerhut 39 years ago. It has cams you use for different stitches. It runs great. I made my first three quilts on it. Then my DH (most amazing man in the world) took me to a Bernina dealer and let me pick out one. I have the 430E, it came with the embroidery unit and a BSR foot for a great deal (someone traded it in). I have to have a computer to use the embroidery, but I love it.

gollytwo

I too have an old #1030 Bernina that I love. Also have a Jem Gold and Jem Platinum (Jenome products) that are reasonably priced and can do a whole lot (I've used their walking foot to machine quilt,and the standard foot comes with an attached bar that keeps you from going over 1/4").
My LQS has machine sales a couple of times a year. Ask yours if they do.
I, when in a wild moment thought I'd like an antique featherweight, Googled for "Singer Featherweights" and found a lot at a full range of price. Do use the "s or you'll get tons of sites unrelated to what you are looking for.

Have no idea where the face came from, but I can't seem to delete it. on the update it's a ), which is what I'd typed.

sewandsewcarol

I have and love my Janome- I did test drive quite a few different machines before I bought. A couple of imoprtant things for me was: Being able to drop the feed dog- stitch regulator- having an start/stop button- Needle up/down feature all the fancy stitches I don't use those too much But the cost is a bit more than some of the other machines but I love it and it was worth it to me. Just go and test drive as many differnet ones as possible. Take a 3 layer patch or 2 with you and try-try-try. then buy

MsMel

I just went through the ordeal of buying a machine within a budget about 4 months ago. I purchased a Singer Futura 2000 Computerized Machine with Embroidery from COSTCO for $599.00 brand new. After overcoming the fear of using it instead of my trusty hand me down from Grandma, I have grown to absolutely love it. It came with a bunch of feet, computer software, embroidery hoops, the whole enchilada :D. I know that QVC carries the same machine for alot more, but they have a demo video if you would like to see it. Now my daughter is learning to use Grandmas machine. Enjoy your new machine when you get it.

MadQuilter

I had a low-end Brother that I passed on to a friend and she loves it. It has the drop-in bobbin and was very easy to adjust. My problem was that I would forget the settings on a stitch and would forget to reset the stitch. Some of my work looked a little wonky as a result.

I have a Pfaff 7530 Quilt and Craft which I consider my backup machine. It runs beautifully like so many of the older Pfaffs (still made with Pfaff Craftsmanship). It has the built-in walking foot, low bobbin indicator (which can become useless if lint blocks the sensor), needle up/down selection, and more stitches than I need. I have a custom extension table that goes with it.

http://www.quiltersreview.com/articl...t/001002_a.asp

I don’t like that it only has a regular-sized throat area and the lighting isn’t very good. It also is a bit temperamental and wants to pull the seam down into the feed dogs (I could buy a straight stitch plate if I wanted to to divert that problem.

My Pfaff 1200 GrandQuilter is a 1600 stitch-per-minute straight stitch machine with a large throat and I have it set up on the frame. (Only no gumption to use it at the moment.) It is a mechanical machine that drinks a lot of oil. Tension can also be a little tricky.

http://www.pfaffusa.com/272_2846.html

Last year I added a Pfaff 2058 and we never managed to become friends. There is nothing at all wrong with the machine – geesh she has more features than I know what to do with and it got good reviews. She sews very smoothly so it is mostly little quirks that bother me. We are just not compatible. I payed $1,300 (the 2058 is a discontinued model that will be supported by Pfaff for a long time) and want to sell her for a decent discount.

Because Pfaffy and I never bonded, I just spent a long time researching machines. Checked out the Janomes (and did not like the way their walking foot works. Also found them a little rough compared to the Pfaff). Looked at the Babylock Quest but it didn’t have all the features I wanted. Then I ordered a Singer that seemed to be a combination of the Janome 6600 and the Quest. I really really wanted to like it because the price was nice! But – she ran like a tractor, skipped stitches, jumped in the Free motion process, so I sent her back to HSN.

Ended up with a Babylock Espire that came with 4 classes, so right now “Quilla” and I are becoming fast friends. I love the way she handles. Funny thing is, she does not have the built-in walking foot (which I thought I had to have), a drop-in bobbin (which I didn’t want to have), and no low bobbin indicator (which I thought I had to have). She has sooooo many neat features that I am even considering sewing some clothes. Now she is not a cheap machine but to me – worth every penny.

http://www.babylock.com/sewing/espire/

Babylock has one of the best warranties in the market and currently they are sponsored by Eleanor Burns and Nacy Zieman. I respect these women but that was only one factor in my decision.
Regardless of what you get. TEST DRIVE!!!!! Have a list of features you need and a list of features you want, then see which machine (price point) matches with the most features from your list.

Char

I would look for a used or refurbished Bernina. I love mine. When I got my 440, I sold my older one to a friend for $300. She thought that was a great deal and is still using it.

mpspeedy

I have 4 Berninas. Two sewing machines, a serger and a stand alone embroidery machine. My first Bernina is a 1260 that I was able to purchase for wholesale in the early 1990s because I worked for a dealer at the time. It was one down from the top of the line since. It probably has the equivilant of 200,000 miles on it. Last year I bought another newer model Bernina. It is a much less expensive machine than my first one and actually has more built in stitches. The main reason I got it was for the lighter weight. It has a lot more plastic which makes it at least 10lbs. lighter than my older model. One reason it was less expensive is that it did not come standard with the knee lift or the better foot pedal. I ended up spending another $300 to have both of them added. At this point I have about $1100 in it plus a few feet. I had spent $1800 plus probably another $500 in special feet for my 1260 plus had to replace the computer in it several years ago for about $250. While it seems like a lot of money for what you get now adays on the machines the price really is not higher in today's dollars.

Mellina

Hi CherylR, You are not alone. Take a look at my location and you will see we are neighbors. I have a Bernina Aurora 440 Quilters Edition. Plus I have a Kenmore 150 which is about 15 years old and still sews like brand new. But my favorite is my Singer treadle that I have had for over 20 years and sews like a dream. Hope you find something soon.

roselady

I have an old, 24 years, Bernina 910. Every time I sit down to sew on it, I want to hug it!! In all these years, I have never had to take it in, except to be cleaned. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the new ones do, but it sews beautifully, is easy to use, I just love it. I will probably never get another new Bernina though, they are just too much money, hard for me to believe.

topper1

the brother would be great for a starter machine, I have a Viking 1+ that I love. and a Designer 1. Can get on ebay for a reasonable price. I live near Richmond, VA. if you want to pm me for any help on quilts etc.