millie vs lenni

[sewfree21]

Hell-o everyone. I've been following the forum and have enjoyed reading every topic.  I have a question for you. I have a budget for a long arm quilting machine.   Should I purchase a used Millie 2009 or a new Lennie.   Also when I was using the Lennie I  thought it was a lot easier to use as in movement  during quilting. I know the machine is lighter than the Millie.  Does anyone else think the Lenni is easier to  move?  Would I get use to movement of the Millie?  What do think I should purchase the Millie or the Lennie?  Please help.

[connieb]

I have a Lenni.  I got it because I too thought it was easier to use/move.  I  love my Lenni.  Here comes the BUT, I wish I'd at least gotten Lucy for the extra throat space alone.  You are the only one who can decide which machine is right for you.  The new Bliss system makes Millie and the Freedom so much easier to move.  Look at what each machine can offer you and what you don't want to live with out.  Go from there, either choice is a good one IMHO.

[sewfree21]

Thank-you Connie.  I haven't even thought of Lucy she has the same throat size as the Millie.  I'll keep thinking.

[cblevins]

I tried both and liked the way Lenni felt the most. I ended up with a 2009 Millie though! The extra throat space wasn't so much of an issue but the automatic advance was. Connie gave you excellent advice....only you know what is important....we all have different things that we don't want to compromise on and they are both excellent machines.

[Acesgame]

I don't have either but I do have a midarm that would be similar to the Lenni and I have rented time on the Lenni and Millie.  I think you should consider all the "extras" that you think you have to have.  Power fabric advance is not necessary but very cool and especially if you move around your quilt a lot.  This is not standard on the Lennie.  Hydralic lift would be good if you want to work from the front and the back.  Not standard on Lenni.  If you add these to the new Lenni you would have the cost of the used machine.  I hate to always talk about cost but unless you are a millionaire, money matters.  If I could afford it and I had the space, I would get the Millie.  Maybe someday. 

[shirleyl]

Back when I bought mine, I could get a used Millie or a new different machine, I think it was the Freedom I looked at. Look at it like this. You are car shopping, but you want to keep it forever. I went with Millie for the throat space, do I always use the whole area? No, but it is there when I want to. I also liked the channel locks as well a the auto feed. I thought the thread cutter would be great, but I find I don't use it much.

It is a personal preference. I upgraded my wheels and that helped a lot. I'm not planning on adding the bliss system, but if you can afford it, you might. The only things I didn't get a the time that I wish I had was the hydraulic lift. But I have received th new quilt path system and will be installing it next week, tomorrow hopefully.

Don't hesitate on a use machine, they are workhorses, and tha is one of the reasons I went with APQS. The other was that I live what most people consider the middle of nowhere (Wyoming) and the give you the information to fix it yourself. I have two friends with another brand an dithery have to take it to Uth even to get it timed.

Write you a list of likes and dislike for the machines you are looking at. Then write a list of what you want, your dream machine. Go from there, just like buying a car, some like leather, some like compact or SUV.

Hope this helps. I have no regrets in m machine.

Shirley

[jmcclannan]

I started with a Lenni and moved up to a Millie a couple of years later.  I would get the most machine you can afford.  Although the Lenni is simpler and lighter, you may soon wish for the larger throat space as well as the bells and whistles the Millie has.  Also, I found I got used to whatever machine I was working with pretty quickly.  Whatever you choose, I know you will love working with the APQS community.  Welcome to the forum.

[dlnewell]

I definitely like the motorized advance.  Wouldn't want to be without it!

[Katydids]

Hell-o everyone. I've been following the forum and have enjoyed reading every topic.  I have a question for you. I have a budget for a long arm quilting machine.   Should I purchase a used Millie 2009 or a new Lennie.   Also when I was using the Lennie I  thought it was a lot easier to use as in movement  during quilting. I know the machine is lighter than the Millie.  Does anyone else think the Lenni is easier to  move?  Would I get use to movement of the Millie?  What do think I should purchase the Millie or the Lennie?  Please help.

 

 

You need to make sure you are comparing the same table/wheel style.  Was the Lenni you test drove on a Bliss table system?  And was the Millie a standard table?  There are differences in movement based on the 2 table/wheel systems.  If you are comparing a Blissed Lenni vs. a Blissed Millie, then there will be just a slight difference between the feel of the 2 with the Millie being a little heavier.  The same goes for a Lenni on a standard table and a Millie on a standard table/wheel system.  But if you are comparing a Blissed Lenni to a standard Millie, there will be a much more noticeable difference.

 

In my opinion, you would be getting much more in the used Millie.  Larger throat, channel locks , better table, fabric advance, ergonomic handles.  If it is on a standard table, make sure it has new wheels, or you can put new wheels on it and make it very smooth.  And yes, you will get used to the feel of the Millie.

[JustSewSimple]

I had a Lenni sold it and got a Freedom.  Wish I still had my Lenni.  She was sweet.

[dancingraisin]

After test driving the machines in classes and at a Road Show, I bought a reconditioned Lucey.  The price for the rexconditioned (green) Lucey was phenomenal , of course, but I also got the peace of mind that the machine's innards were updated and the extra throat space.  I felt I had much more control over a Lucey or Lenni than the larger machines.  And I could splurge on Bliss.

[Charmaine]

While I love my Lenni, it is limiting in the throat space to use rulers. Once you put the ruler base on to support the ruler use, the space is small. You will be limited in doing long diagonal and vertical lines and you must roll the quilt often.

The hydrolic lift would be wonderful to allow you to raise and lower the table to allow better sight lines to do both freehand stitching from the front of the machine and to do pantos from the back.

Lots to think about....

Good Luck !

[sewfree21]

Thanks to everyone for helping me. I guess I could get used to the weight of the Millie.  I know your body has to get used to anything you do.  Just need to do a little at a time with either  machine.  The Millie I was looking at didn't have the  table height adj.  More for me to think about.   

 

Thanks again,

[SandyK]

Sewfree,

 

Millie with the Bliss is a one hand operation for me when I use Pantographs. It is just so smooth. I wouldn't want to be without the extra throat space because I'm lazy about moving the quilt forward, that's just me. The auto advance, you mean people actually have to hand turn their quilts, just kidding ;-) We are very spoiled having our APQS machines, all of them. Good luck with your decision, I'm sure you will fall in love with whichever one you decide on. I bet you wish you had done it years ago like I do.

 

Sandy

[jimerickson]

I've thought about this a good bit, and I'm not sure I really have a strong position one way or the other.  The way I look at it, the real difference between them is size.  From reading the posts, that's not the way a lot of others view it.  There are probably more comments about ammenities than size.  As some of you know, I have a 1997 Ult 2."Zelda".  Now Zelda is unlike any other Ult2.  She has a 4 roller table based on the original wooden platform.  The table has electric power lift, and a generous gas spring assisted batting access system.  Zelda herself is Intellistitch equiped, wears Edgerider wheels, and has both vertical and horizontal electronic channel locks.  She also has the large "M" bobbin system.  The table rollers are secured with infinately adjustable brakes rather than the original cog wheels.  As you can see, I've added a lot of the ammenities.

 

I also have a 2001 Gammill Classic on a standard 14' Gammill table.  It's also Intellistitch equiped, and only has a horizontal electronic channel lock.  I use both machines frequently.  They are both similar and different.  Zelda moves more smoothly, which I attribute to her vertical wheel and track system.  The inverted aluminum angle track system on the wooden table is excellent, and the Gammill track system isn't as good.  Not as simple, too many parts.  Gammill's batting access system is a joke, but I really like the hand wheels they put on the rollers, and while I don't really like take up roller adjustment, Gammill's system is excellent.

 

Zelda has a stroke of 14.5" with her table configuration, and Gammill's is either 19.5" or 20", I'm not quite sure.  At any rate Gammill out strokes the Millie's by at least 2".  The Gammill has a hopping foot, Zelda has a "scooting" presser foot.  If I'm doing something that requires long vertical lines or design blocks more than 13.5" square, I perfer Gammill.  If I'm doing detailed work, I like Zelda because It's easier to see what I'm doing at the top of her shorter stroke, than it is on Gammill.  Now the Gammill is a good bit heavier than Zelda, but I really haven't noticed that it takes more effort to move it than Zelda.  Zelda does circles better than Gammill, which again, I attribute to the table track system.  Now I'm a man, and even though I'm not what I was when I was younger, I know I'm stronger than most of the forum members.  Maybe that's why I don't desern the "weight" difference.  It certainly explains why I don't have any problems with the spring clamps that tighten the sides of the backing, and maybe that's why I don't see a need for power advance.  ( I have to admit I've never tried it so my opinion is uninformed)  As I understand it, power advance is just that:  "advance". not advance and retreat.  It seems to me that if that's the case, it isn't really all that helpful.

 

So back to my take on the Millie vs Lenni.  At times it would be nice to have the longer stroke of the bigger machine.  At other times that just becomes a bother.  However, the difference in the tables may be significant.  I know the original Ult 2 table configuration left a lot to be desired.  I've spent a lot of time and effort correcting the defects I found in Zelda's original system, and will probably one day rebuild the Gammill table to correct some of it's problems.  If size is your issue decide if you want "reach" or compact convience.  If the ammenities are the issue, Millie wins by a long shot.  Too bad more effort hasn't been made to make the little machine as slick as the big one.  Buy a used Millie, or rebuild your new (if you're going to rebuild it, why buy new) Lenni to correct the features you don't like, the way I did with Zelda.  Jim

[lmeimann]

Jim, the power advance is an advance and retreat, and I would not care to be without mine.  I've adjusted by hand on a previous machine and the power advance is much quicker than advancing--or retreating by hand and easier to fine tune.

[KathyG_Quilts]

I had a 2008 Millie, one of the first available and thought she was a huge upgrade with the stitch regulator from my older Ult I.  I am only a hobby quilter at this pint in my life, but once I retire, I hope to quilt for others.  I liked the Millie, but wound up trading her in for a Freedom just over a year ago.  I wanted something lighter and never used the thread cutter and didn't find the channel locks particularly effective.  I also upgraded to Bliss at the same time.  My husband did not understand why I needed to spen all that money when I had a perfectly good system...  He had rolled the machine around just a bit to see how it felt once.  When I got the new system up and running (without out hubby's help,with son's help), hubby came home from a meeting and I proudly showed him the new system.  He rolled the machine around for a few moments, looked at me and said, "oooh!, now I get it!"  I have fibromyalgia and struggle to get more than a few hours in the sewing room done in a day and the lighter machine has really made a difference.  I hurt less!  I love Bliss!

[sewfree21]

Kathy, Thank -you for responding to my question.  I have another question. Was it the bliss that made the difference in the movement of the Freedom?  Does the thread cutter and the channel locks add weight to the millie.  I thought there was only 4 lbs difference in the weight of the MIllie, 49lbs and the weight of the Freedom 44 lbs..   Always another question in my mind.  Thanks again. I know I'm not getting any younger and I want to be  able to use the quilting machine for years. 

[Bonnie H]

I don't have a Millie or Lennie, or even an APQS for that matter, I have a Nolting 24 Pro. I upgraded from a smaller machine, a Nolting 17 inch FunQuilter.

 

One thing that comes to mind for me in my upgrade is that I'm short, only 5 feet 2 inches, and having a bigger-throated machine when quilting from the front, I find I don't usually use that extra throat space because the reach of my arms isn't long enough for the control I feel I want/need when doing detail work. Now, from the back of the machine while quilting pantos, I love the big throat so I'm not limited by the pantos I can use.

 

So I would say, also factor in your size. If you are short, you may be perfectly happy with a smaller-throated machine, and if you only want to do up-front work, the same may be true. But from the back of the machine, the big throat space is heavenly for me!

[CrazyAboutQuilting]

The other factor to take into consideration is how much room you have for your machine.  They are all wonderful machines so you can't really go wrong with any of them, it just depends on what are the most important features for you.  Good luck with your decision!   I love my Lenni       .  I have upgraded to Bliss and also upgraded my handles to the curved, ergonomic ones and love how easy he is to use.  Thread tension is rarely an issue and I use lots of different types of thread.  I don't think you can make a wrong decision between the different models.  You will get the same, great customer service whether you buy a Millie or a Lenni. 

[oireachtas]

The bliss is what makes the difference. There really isn't a discernible difference between the freedom and Millie for most people on the same table. The bliss system is amazing. My Millie moves as easily as my much lighter Nolting midarm did with the bliss system.

[Darlene Epp]

Yes, it's the Bliss table system that makes the difference, not the insignificant weight of the thread cutter and electronic channel locks. The old locks were magnetic, and in my opinion, unreliable. The electronic locks are in one word, AWESOME!