I've had a Viking for about 4 years now and love it. For my birthday this year my husband surprised me with a new Viking Sapphire that has a wider sewing space for machine quilting. I really like this machine as well.

I have a BabyLock Espire, which I don't hear much about on TQS, but I'm really happy with it. When I was shopping (3 years ago), I tried a Pfaff, which I didn't like, and some Berninas, which I did like, but they didn't have as much room for quilting as the BabyLock (at least the ones I could afford), and I figured I would be doing some, if not all, of my own quilting so that was important. Good luck with your hunting!

I've sewed on a used Bernina for the past 14 years and it has done a beautiful job. I do a lot of heirloom sewing orders for a shop where I live and then I have used it also for quilting and piecing. I choose Bernina 100%, but a lot of other people love other brands equally as much as I do my Bernina. I got to buy a new Bernina about six weeks ago. I chose the Aurora 430. I did not get the BSR (which I can add later if I want to), But I still got all the features I could ask for. I am so pleased with the new machine.

I think the advice I would have for you is to try different brands and keep your options open. I would not be afraid to buy a used one at all. And one of the most important things is to buy it at a place where you will have a good dealer that will offer classes and great service. Your dealer is so important.

Good luck and I hope you find the machine that will suit you just perfectly.

I love my Bernina 630, if you're struggling to justify the cost of a new Bernina, why not look at the second hand market? They're wonderful machines and there's no reason why a pre-loved one should give you any less loyal service than a new one.

I bought my Bernina 1630 over ten years ago used. This machine continues to meet my needs for piecing and quilting, and it's what I take to workshops when I teach. The only machine I've purchased since then is the HQ16 sit down model for machine quilting, earlier this year. I find that I really don't need the features on the newer Berninas so I haven't upgraded.

Renee

I have a Janome 6600 which I bought for the larger harp space, for free-motion quilting.
It's a great workhorse of a machine, different from my old Pfaff 7570 which my Mom is
using now. It's not temperamental, sews a beautiful line of stitching. It doesn't have a
true blanket stitch, which I found out lately when trying out machine applique. The new
7700 has the true blanket stitch, as does my Pfaff. My Janome dealer told me that
the quality control on the Janome is very good. He also carries other brands, too.

Here's my advice, for what it's worth ( )
Check out on line reviews
make a list of things you really want out of a machine.
Go test drive your top contenders, really give them a good workout.

You'll see which one you prefer to work with.

Kathy

I really like my Janome 6600 and have had it for about 4 years. Janome makes several very nice models that are reasonably priced and very user friendly. You could probably get a good deal on a used 6500 or 6600 because Janome came out with their 7700 and a lot of folks have been trading in their old machines for the new one. Also you might want to check out PatternReview.com. They have a lot of reviews on different sewing machines. And it doesn't cost anything to go out and "test drive" one!

I bought a used Bernina 440 QE two years ago and I was also able to get financing. It has the BSR which is the main reason I bought it. I've been very happy with it. My first machine was a Pfaff which I still have. I love the built-in walking foot. I still use that machine to sew on my bindings as the only thing I'm not thrilled with about my Bernina is the walking foot attachment.

I bought a second hand Viking and love it. When people upgrade you can get a good deal. Also we made payments until I was able to bring it home.

I'm thinking it's time for a better model sewing machine but I'm curious what everyone out there is using. I looked into Bernina but I can't swing it into the budget in the foreseeable future.

Would love to know what machines you're using and how many years it's been working smoothly for you. I see a lot of Janome and Pfaff's in my guild. Thanks! --Melissa