I'm so glad to have all of you experts out there... Been following all the B830 natter for the past year or so, and today the unexpected happened...
I went to the local Bernina store to buy the free motion couching foot that Ricky demonstrated on the new show... We got talking, they know I've been waiting for information and pricing on the new 7 series, and asked me if I would be interested in a B830 demo model. Bernina headquarters in steckborn are selling the demo models they had used for their dealer trainings... Would I? Obviously! I'm getting a great deal, they're doing a full service, including all updates and replacing all the important parts to the latest versions... I said I'll think about it - of course my mind was made up before I left the store - we went out for a celebratory Thai meal and I sent him an email with my YES once I got home. YESSSSSS! Due to all the work they're doing on the machine it'll probably be October till I take my new baby home - but soooooooooo happy. That should make me get over this crappy flu!!!

Limbania, There is also a function that allows you to touch the screen and the hoop moves under the needle to exactly where it will be when it stitches that particular part of the design. You can check the crucial places and with the placement function turn the button until it is exactly where you need it to be. It just takes a LITTLE practice and you can get it right every single time.

Your hoops should've come with a girded plastic template that serve as guide to position the design.

I don't have an 830, but my 440 has the plastic template too. I still get everything ready, and manually lower the needle to be sure exactly where it will hit on the fabric.

This gave me a really good laugh
I don't have the big Bernina, but on my Janome embroidery machine there is a plastic template to put in the hoop. It shows the area where the machine can do its thing and there is a little hole in the center where I can adjust the needle to go through. Then I know the placement on the fabric will be like on the screen.
I don't know if this makes sense to a Bernina owner.

Ok, so y'all want to have a good laugh for the day???!!! I took one of my v-neck T'shirts and hooped it with stick stabilizer. Got it positioned (decided the babylock with the camera would have been nice at this point) and was pleased it was positioned so well. Put it on my machine and began embroidering both sides of the neckline and meeting perfectly at the V. So about half way through I realized something........I FORGOT TO GET THE BACK OF THE SHIRT OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep, the shirt's got the front embroidered to the back AND you can't even remove the hoop without cutting the shirt. I just sat there looking at it and thought how dumb, I used to know that and just started to laugh. The sad part is that the stitching was soooo perfect!! Oh well, lesson learned I guess. Wonder if I'll ever make that mistake again?? LOL

Oh, btw can anyone tell me how to tell where the needle will drop? The sales person told me that with the 830LE you can see exactly where the needle will drop on the garment. I haven't been able to see where I can tell that yet. Is that on the screen, the circle thing that indicates where the needle is? I thought it meant that it would tell me on the garment. Just wondering.

First of all, congratulations!!! It's so exciting to bring one of those big babies home. I have an 830LE and I think the only requirement is that it needs to be a good brand/quality of thread. I use Superior a LOT, and a little Sulky, and even Mettler and Gutterman, depending on what I am doing. The key is to pay attention to your tension and to be sure you thread it right (waiting for the thread light to come on after you start the thread through and before you bring it across the top and down). The cool thing about the B830 and B820 is that you can adjust the bobbin tension almost as easily as the top tension. I have found that when I use Bottom Line or other light thread in the bobbin, I need to be sure it is threaded for embroidery. Anyway, welcome to the club.

Thank you. That sounds good, or at least I want it to. I am just starting out with the machine. Had a 440QE a while back but traded it in on another non-embroidery machine cause I had so many problems witht he embroidery. Since I am a quilter primarily thought I didn't want it. But this machine, oh my I am so in love. BUT it does have a learning curve. I found that even though I have just played with stitches one evening and did a small embroidery one night, that it needed oil already. So after changing threads, needles, and everything in between I gave it a nice drink and then voila!! it was fine. Clankly noises were all gone. I had become accustomed to not having to oil a machine!! Will have to get back in that groove again. Does feel nice to be on a Bernina again though I will continue to play around with the different threads now that I know I have to oil and see if there is any difference in behavior.

I don't find my 820 finicky or tempermental at all, certainly not about thread, but then I'm not that adventurous yet.

I HAVE used every weight of cotton thread and several brands. My current favorite piecing thread is Presencia 60wt, followed closely by Aurifil 50wt and Masterpiece by Superior-the "old" 2 ply, haven't tried the new 3ply Masterpiece. Mettler is ok, too. I've quilted with 12, 28, 40, and 50 wt Aurifil plus Perfect Quilter and King Tut by Superior, which are both thicker.

I don't think I've tried silk thread in the 820 yet, and the only poly I've tried in it was Mettler Metrosene. I'm going to try So Fine in the future.

There are tips and tricks for taming naughty threads like metallics. Don't worry!

Btw, I use needles from 60/8 to 100/16 with no trouble, BUT you can't use the autothreader on needles smaller than 75/11. One reason I like the Presencia is that I can use it with a 60/8 needle.

I just brought home an 830LE,..... yippee!!!!! But I was wondering, does anyone find that one thread over another works better? I have heard that these machines are super temperamental and was going to get a big cone for piecing, etc. but didn't want to play on a trial and error basis if others have had experience. I currently am using Superiors Masterpiece, but the LQS where I bought the machine really likes to push Mettler. Any thoughts???? I apologize if we aren't supposed to mention brand names.....