Domestic sewing machine

[DebLou]

I am looking for a domestic machine that will be dependable and sew through thickness and seams for quilting. Probably in the range of $300 - $500. What machine do you ladies like the best?

Thanks,

[JustSewSimple]

Brother or Baby Lock

[DebLou]

I wondered about them. I've always had a Singer and have heard that they aren't made as well now. I'm so confused with everything that is out there. I want an auto needle threader too.

[Guest Linda S]

I know this is generally my response, but I'm a Costco addict, so I'll go ahead. Try Costco. They generally carry Singer and Brother machines at good prices. The best thing about Costco? Take the machine home and try it for a few months, if you don't like it, you can take it back. I think they have a 90-day return policy now.

Linda

[LinneaMarie]

I love my Bernina Artista 640, but you won't find one in that price range. I don't know if you'll find ANY with bells and whistles like a needle threader for that money. Maybe a gently used one? Check craigs list and ebay. Also, sometimes the sewing machine repair places have great machines from a trade in.

Of course, I'm no expert on machines either.

I'd like the new Janome Horizon, but it's new and $3,000. YIKES! I sure can't afford THAT!

[Guest Linda S]

I'm in total agreement on the Bernina - but you won't find one for $300-500. Nothing sews like a Bernina . . .Nothing! (Just ask me when I make a mistake and need to take those lovely stitches out!!).

[newmillie2010]

janome has some sweet models in that price range ... with a needle threader. My friend got one from our local quilt shop and she loves it!

sorry. don't know the model number. but just research janome's with needle threader and see what pops up. I think she paid somewhere in the $300 range.

have fun!

[Daisy2018]

I found a really nice Janome platinum for my daughter, who is just starting sewing, not too threatening for her, but full of nice features, it was a little more than the 400, closer to 650, but was sturdy and had nice features. A lot of the ladies around here carry it to classes instead of their big computer models they leave at home. One lady liked it so much for piecing, she says she uses it more than the big buck machine she has:D

[Ferret]

For that price, I would go for a Brother. They tend to give you better bang per buck for lower prices.

Ferret

[Wannabelongarm]

I need to jump in for Pfaff, I have had one for 4 years and I love, love, love it. I am not sure what you can get used in your price range, but I love the independent feed that feeds the top layer along with your bottom feed. You can sew thin as well as thick.

I bought mine in Canada, the prices have come down alot since I bought mine, and I don't know what the US prices are.

I have a cousin in Minnesota, Home Ec major who swears by Bernina.

Good Luck! It is so much fun to get a new machine!!!

Joanne Flamand, aka wannabelongarm

Artistic Quilt Designs

[DebLou]

Thanks so much for your input. Do you ladies prefer to buy from a shop as opposed to online? I'm afraid to buy online because if I don't like it I can't return it as easily. What are your thoughts on this?

[JustSewSimple]

Let me see if I can explain the difference the user normally finds with Brother/Baby Lock and Janome. While all these are great machines, the Brother and Baby Lock and Pfaff are smooth stitching and quiet. They are powerful but go about their business in a smooth manner. Janome takes "big bites." It churns out the stitches. It is also noisy. It is a gem but it lets you know it is going. I have all of the above and I'm sure this is my last Janome. I like to piece for enjoyment and I am tired of all the noise. Just my 2 cents.

[Neher-in-law5]

I'm also, a Pfaff person. I have had 4 in my home in the last 12 years. I still have my first Pfaff and it works just as great as when I bought it. The next one is at my daughter's house, the third also has the embroidery unit. and just a couple years ago we bought another one (at Salvation Army) for another daughter. My second daughter (of the 4 I have) bought a Pfaff Hobby. All have been great machines. The hobby level is good, but you probably want the next level up for those whose "life hobby" is quilting and sewing.

I have mended my sil's ripped jeans at the back pocket and the crotch with huge rips, using a zigzag stitch with both of the Pfaff's here. I don't need to go slow or be over cautious. The machine makes great stitches going through the folded seams or pocket edges to the single layer of jean beside it. There are no skipped stitches or hesitation. I have quilted using both machines through the full sandwich layers, haven't had to worry about the seams in it. I have quilted many queen quilts on them, pieced and quilting process.

I also have used them to make all the dresses including the brides dresses for two daughters' weddings. That included satin, lace, chiffon, and organza, and tulle. They all work great. I wouldn't go without the integrated dual feed.

I have seen some good prices on the creative 4.0 Pfaff (the more basic level but higher than the hobby level). Check with your dealer to see what they will offer. I always buy the floor model because it is cheaper and they know everything works since they use them to demo, but they have very little time on the machine life.

I would encourage you to see if you can get the good one for you even if it is just a bit more than you were thinking. You won't be sorry if you get the good machine (whichever one is right for you) but you will always be sorry that you settled for a less quality machine that doesn't work as well as you want it to.

[Quilting Heidi]

I got my DIL a Pfaff hobby quilter for 350. it seems to be a very reliable machine and stitches beautifully.

[seakitten]

I too am a Pfaff fan, but I don't know if they have a new one under $500. I'm a Costco addict as well, but I feel strongly that you should buy a sewing machine from the dealer who's going to service it, so you have a relationship from the start, and can bring it right back if there's a problem. I have that new Bernette, from Bernina, that I won as the door prize at MQS. It is a lower-priced model of the Bernina (may be over $500, but not by much), made in Taiwan, but so far it has worked fine & has a lot more features than you'd expect from that price range. you might look at one of those. It is a nice machine, but I still prefer my Pfaff.

[DebLou]

Thank you so much everyone. Catherine, I was thinking the same thing about buying from a dealer in case I needed to take it back. I don't know anything about Pfaff but found that Springfield has a dealer. I will call them and see what they have to offer. I like Madelyn's idea to buy a floor model. I'll check that out as well.

Thanks again everyone.

[saratogaquilter]

I'm a Bernina user. I have the 730 Artista and you won't find that in your price range, but I do know they have some good basic machines in a more reasonable price range. I have the embroidery hoop and all that jazz. The one thing I found that really amazed me was that I could wind the bobbins of my Millie on my Bernina. And as much as I love it for quilting and embroidery it is wonderful for doing my most hated job--patching jeans!

I was in a quilt shop a while back and saw their top of the line Pfaff (sp?) and "if" my ship ever comes in and it isn't the Titanic, I want one. Their largest embroidery hoop is huge! Oh well, by the time I can afford it they will have something newer and better. Just my input for the evening.

[Sharond]

I am a Pfaff convert. I had/have a Bernina 150 for 10 years. Sews like a dream. However, I was with a friend helping another friend find a sewing machine. At one shop we were at they had a used Pfaff, don't remember the model. Anyway I went back the next day and bought it for my daughter. Since she was in college, I used it for 1 1/2 years. Then she landed a job and took her machine to her new apartment. Two months later I bought the Pfaff Expression 4.0. I love that machine. I offered my Bernina to my oldest daughter, but she doesn't sew. So when she is ready to sew, she is a teacher and working on her masters, I will buy her a Pfaff.

My sister and a dear friend can not believe that I switched to Pfaff. Now I just need to convert those two gals to Pfaff.

[Dave-Jane]

I am a Pfaff fan as well. it runs smooth and true. When I am at a group sew in, it is the so quiet and no vibrations, compared to the others. But I have been told the new models are not as good as the ones a few years old, as the company was sold recently. So I will keep my two as long as I can!!! I would buy a used one, if I needed to. A friend traded in her Pfaff for a Bernina with the stitch regulator. While she really likes the Bernina for the free hand, she went back and bought her Pfaff back for the piecing -

Jane

[Calicoquilter]

I hate my Viking. I have a 25 year old Bernina that still works better than my newer Viking. If I had it to do all over again, I would buy another Bernina.

[NollR]

Tons of good advice here! I would say find a dealer in the distance you're willing to travel to buy and/or repair /clean when necessary and test drive machines with the features you want and in your price range.

I have a Bernina that I love, 2 Janomes that I love, A Husqvarna Viking straight stitch machine that is a workhorse and my first Singer I bought after college when they were still metal that I can't give up!

Good luck!

[Kueser]

If your Janome is noisy, it is probably full of lint in the bobbin area. I've had three and the only gripe I have about them is the thread comes out of the pick up lever more often than I like. Seems like for no reason also. My husban pointed out to me that Consumer Reports said there was a Project Runway model (Brother?) that cost around $450 that did as much as the real high dollar machines.

[Lynne in Iowa]

I love my Pfaff, especially the built in walking foot. Sew on a very basic Janome at church quilting. It does a decent job too, but I miss the walking foot. Find a reputable dealer in your area. It helps to buy your machine there when it comes to service (I have yet to pay for basic service on my Pfaff). Check out what the dealer has for used machines, let them know what you are interested in, they might have someone who is thinking about trading in just what you want and you would be able to upgrade for the same price.

[Ferret]

Just to add to the confusion here I actually use Viking machines now and I love them to bits. Before that I only Used Brother sewing machines.

I teach a lot and see huge numbers of different machines. There are some you see come in to a class and your heart sinks others that you smile just to see them.

If you were looking for a second hand machine I would be looking for a 1950's 1960's Bernina. There are a lot around over here and they are all great workhorses. Some of the later models are good but it seems to get more hit and miss as they get newer.

There are some tiny Elna's which are great too. They are the small ones with flaps that fold up around the machine to make a case. Tiny but quite powerful. Lovely little machines.

I've not seen any good new machines under 150 pounds $200-$300. They tend to be light, tempremental and short lived. I've had quite a few of the low en d Brother and Janome machines turning up in classes and they usually end up taking quite a bit of my time to keep them going. In my experience the Janome's are quite noisy compared to the other brands.

The new high end Singers had looked quite good to me until I found out that they don't take standard needles. The have a specially shaped top. It's a pain to try and buy needles and you really think twice about changing them. I don't see that as an asset.

I switched from Brother to Viking because several things happened at just the wrong/right moment. I tried to get permission to use photographs of my machine in my book, Brother weren't happy with that idea. Brother changed the terms of their service contract (which had been by far the best on the market and now is working on the worst). At the same time a Viking salesman told me they had the best machine for quilters, and I called him a lying toe rag, and quite a few other things. They lent me a machine and I pointed out all the things it was missing if it was going to be the best machine for me. The new model had all my features and they were thrilled for me to photograph it. I have abused and mistreated it in many ways and it's taken everything.

So why would I suggest a Brother? Vikings cost more. Simple as that. Mid and high end Brother machines do the job, you would have to spend more to get an Viking that would do everything a quilter might want.

If I were on a limited budget I would go for a mid range lower brand rather than a bottom of the range higher brand. They seem to work better in my experience. Although I would be very tempted to look at a second hand machine.

Hope that hasn't made things as muddy as I think it may have

Ferret

[JustSewSimple]

I think the new Consumer Report ranks Brother (P Runway) their top pick. The dealer here says she can't keep them in her shop that they fly off the shelf! I do agree that Vicking/Husky are WONDERFUL machines but pricey. My Janome is clean as a whistle. Just had it serviced and I use the air tank on it twice a week. I use the 6600 and the built in foot squeaks like a mouse. She is just a loud mouth. Wouldn't buy her again. Wouldn't buy a Singer. Remember that if you buy a Kenmore - it is made by Janome.