I welcome corrections or additional information. If you work for any of these organizations, and have more detail, you can contact me at carol edgestitch. I love my Bernina. I have had it for over ten years but decided it was time to buy a new one for the embroidery work.
I have to hook up to my 10 year old lap top and send my designs to my machine etc… and it gets old. That is, it was getting old until I starting shopping around for a new one.
I do not understand how a machine built by people making dollars a day can cost more than my first Toyota Corolla. If they were still being made in Switzerland, it would still be tragic but more understandable. Actually, the most expensive machines are still made in Switzerland. You would be a great candidate for the with embroidery or the new 5 series with embroidery.
Keep an eye out around the holidays. Bernina usually has some pretty good promotions and financing. I have never regretted a Bernina purchase. But I feel your pain. Machines are an investment. First off thank you. Your post is extremely helpful. I too have a few questions. I have been seeing since I was 15 and I am now I am thinking of replacing an old Pfaff I purchased over 25 years ago. I mainly like to do my own alterations, garment construction, basic quilts, and some home sewing.
I was considering a Bernina or a Bernette Maybe even an industrial Juki? I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you. Hi, current bernettes are not made in the same factories as actual Bernina machines, nor are they the same quality. Bernettes have many plastic parts, while Berninas have a cast iron frame and a strong motor and a metal hook system. If you want a machine to last 15 years, I highly recommend a Bernina. The Bernina or the or are within your price range.
If you were to choose a bernette, I would recommend the bernette It is a newer model with the same interface as the Bernina machines. Good luck and Happy Stitching! I also have a German-made Pfaff I love it as much as I love the Singers.
If you want precision and reliability, keep the oldies! The new plastic models are made to break. Totally agree, although I did sell my older Pfaff. It was a lovely machine and I actually got a good price for it, and I know it went to a very good home.
Hate the B SE my feather weight sews fine. My Elissimo is great. When I purchased the Bernina thought I was getting a great.. Well, you have an expensive machine to use as a door stop. At the very least you should try to sell it. I feel bad for you, because something along the way went wrong.
Either your training on the was not sufficient, or it just was not the right machine for you. Your dealer should never let you get to the point of feeling so frustrated.
The machine can do many things but along with that comes precision use and the knowledge of how to use it. You have 2 choices: 1. Go back to your dealer and list your complaints. They need to help you use the machine. Put it up for sale and cut your losses. Wishing you a better experience in the future.
Any machine can be good for piecing and making masks. It all depends on your price point and the features you really want. Make sure you have a dealer you can trust. I know I say that all the time. It has nothing to do with operator error, poor education, not understanding the machine, etc. It spent more time at my dealer who is great and took care of everything no questions asked.
I bought a Pfaff as a backup. The Pfaff is an excellent machine. She has also had the mother board and the Eprom replaced. The best advice you can give if someone has issues is to return the machine to your dealer. The worst is to sell the machine on. You are only passing problems on to a new buyer. I would not sell a machine I would not want to buy especially when you can purchase a car for the same amount of money. Totally agree.
The dealer needs to manage your happiness. And if they have repeated problems with a certain machine, they have the power to influence the manufacturer and make themselves heard loud and clear. What a disappointment not to mention the cost for that disappointment. Sometimes you get techs who make it worse. The 8 Series from Bernina has never been a favorite of mine, though I know many people who love theirs.
Just too sensitive and complicated for me. I do love the 7 Series. But I agree with you on all counts. And thank you for the advice on the Pfaff Always good to share our experiences. Very good advice. One option would be to use it as a trade if a store will accept it. Right at the moment my is working properly but owning it has been a frustrating and expensive experience. It seems there were a lot of problems with s manufactured in Luckily I have a great dealer and it was under warranty.
It was not operator error and I find that as a cop out when someone lists that as a reason. Which machine for an intermediate with hope of improvement, and a wide range of textile weights s v vintage record. Jan, this is just my opinion, but I would go with the They are widely used in schools and can take a real beating and still sew beautifully.
The old is a collectible and was precious in its time, but as the years go by, parts are not as available as they deteriorate. Bernina still makes the because of classroom use, so techs and parts are readily available. You could still get a new one with a warranty. Again, just my opinion, but the is the current workhorse.
I just bought my first Bernina, a and I am very happy with it. Plenty of info about the Thailand plant is available on the Bernina website. I do love it. That and I was pleased to read your information about the Bernina owned and run factory. I had mid level Vikings for more than 30 years before I bought my It is just a pleasure to sew on. I love having a buttonhole I where I can adjust the slit width. I made perfect corded buttonholes on a knit cardigan, one of the harder things to do.
I just made samples on another cardigan and they too were perfect. I heard that they are discontinuing this machine. Such a shame since it is so perfect for a garment sewer. My question also relates to which machine to buy.
I have been researching the internet daily for hours for three weeks here now trying to read and watch every possible piece of information there is. I have shifted from brand to brand thinking I wanted this or that. My sewing is garment, home dec, I am venturing into bag making, mostly fabric but will use some fur and light weight leather, and maybe some quilting.
If you would please let me know which machine is best. Thank you for your opinion and advice. So those 2 machines are basically the same with a few minor distinctions that are basically personal preference.
If you decide on the , you can always purchase a straight stitch plate and that makes tiny piecing much easier. More than anything else the extra 1. For sewing bags, get yourself a 8 Jeans foot. Have fun! I, too, have enjoyed the information on this blog. I inherited an old Bernina from my MIL but she wore it out. I also inherited a BabyLock and a Bernette Embroidery machine. Looking to replace the sewing machine so this site has been helpful.
I want to get back into sewing as retirement is also in my horizon and want to be ready and buy a new machine while I am still working. Juki was not originally on my radar, basically because there are really not a lot of Juki dealers in my area. However, I have contacted Juki and will add an update to this post when I hear back from them. Thanks for asking. My friend has a BabyLock Regula quilting machine and it had to be sent back to corporate for repair after sewing only 91 quilts in 7 months.
Heard anything about these machines? She just boughtnit in May of this year. I have not heard anything specific about the Regalia. As with any machine purchase, you need to depend heavily on your dealer. Be sure that you have received as much training as possible on how to maintain and use your machine on your own…owner cleaning and troubleshooting on all machines is vital. No one wants an unhappy customer.
Good luck! Only the longarms are made there. So that leaves us with NO domestic sewing machines being made in the U. Earlier reply. Ah, a great question. Their website lets me believe that their line of HQ Stitch home sewing machines are manufactured in Utah as well. If they are indeed manufactured there, then I stand corrected. I have not seen these machines in person, nor have I worked on them, and I am not familiar with their level of quality and durability.
So I will withhold judgement until they have been around long enough to be proven. With only people working at their corporate office, production facility and training center, I am curious to learn more. Another thing to understand when looking at the cost of our hobby. The newer machines are all computerized. The embroidery software is a computer program — Research and development costs a lot.
There is a limited market for our tools as compared to business computers and software, so the recoup of investment has to be spread over fewer machines, so the cost is higher per sewing machine or sewing related software. Are the US dealers able to fully address customer complaints or our their hands tied? Are parts and software updates available for a reasonable period of time after production on that model ends?
Can we easily escalate concerns to corporate that are not being addressed or able to be addressed by local dealers? Ltd,, a Chinese investment group. Could not determine where the Pfaff machines are now made, but assume they are made in China as before the acquisition.
Shangong looks to be just an investment group that holds the Pfaff Industrial Machinery shares, not the consumer business. Hi I found your article very informative. I replaced my Pfaff with a new,much cheaper Elna.
After a month I went back to the old Pfaff. I need a repair to an old Elna overlocker serger late! Would you recommend buying a new one or getting a repair? Well, in my humble opinion, sergers have come a long way since the eighties. But for my money, Babylock has been perfecting their sergers for a long, long time. They are not cheap…nothing is these days as you well know.
So my advice to you is to test drive and price new sergers. If you are not impressed, then get your Elna fixed. But keep in mind that the parts will be harder and harder to find for that older model.
Thank you Carol, for your advice. My old Elnalock L4 was made in Japan. I have had a look at the Babylock site here in Australia. Self threading looks amazingly tempting!
Rethreading is certainly the bugbear of these old machines. I thank you for your free advice. Best of luck to you…the air threading is the best.
Just purchased a used pfaff passport 2. I hope you have better luck with your passport 2 than I have had. I have used mine for retreats and sewing days only. It is 5 years old and I took it to the shop because it was sluggish about starting when it started to sew. After 2 months in the shop, I have been told that they no longer make the parts to fix this machine. So I guess I now own a dust catcher. I am not happy at all. I have an older Phaff that is probably 40 years old that is still going strong.
I know there is a passport 3 because I was going to trade up to that model before all this happened. Not now. My error. My passport is a 2. It is one of the first ones. So far it is ok. I use my Berninas…I have 6. Thank you for providing this service. Much appreciated. I was just dusting off a Bernette that has been sitting for years. Looks like the serial number is Is it different for the Bernette? I bought it from a friend nearly 30 years ago.
I do pretty much straight forward stuff — repairs, straight seams, no heavy fabrics, etc. Hi, well it sounds like you have a vintage machine.
Older machines from 30 years ago or more were all made heavier than machines today. They are for lighter sewing and they are farmed out by Bernina to manufacturers around the globe. They are not made in Bernina-owned plants. If you are wanting to get back into sewing, I would bite the bullet and get a new machine. Things like lighting and other advances have made new machines just a dream.
Just be sure to use a dealer you trust, who will train you and be there for questions and repairs. As always, this is just my opinion, and you should do what you think is best. Happy stitching! If so, may they live happily ever after together. My mom was a seamstress forever; it was awful when she began losing her sight to macular degeneration. Could I get more details and location.
Hi Great information, I am looking a buying a new machine. I am looking at Husqvarna epic Q. Have you heard much about this machine. Not interested in embroidery at this time! I just cannot find any reviews on this Epic Q. I sure hope you can help me. Thanks San. Things to look for: 1. You want at least 10 years if not more.
Where and how will it be serviced? Buy from a dealer who has been trained on this machine, and does on site repair work. And a machine with that many features WILL eventually need maintenance and repairs.
Be sure to test it with your own fabric and compare it with other machines of comparable price. Does it feel solid? Does the foot wobble? How easy is it to change feet? Change settings? Change a bobbin? Finally, find out how long this model has been manufactured.
Let someone else work out the bugs. Good luck in your machine search. I found the Bernina information particularly useful as I would like the S but had been pondering getting a vintage Record.
I want a second machine for free machine embroidery to leave the Brother embroidery machine set up with the embroidery attachments. Yeah, the is still a current Bernina machine. Go for it. Plus, parts will be available for at least another years. Great information! I was excited to see the wonderful manufacturing facility in Thailand. Thank you! I have been quilting for over 25 years. I started with a Pfaff and was very pleased with that machine which was made in West Germany.
Then I bought the Creative Vision, made in China. Paid a lot for it. I had many issues with it. One time my dealer could not fix it and had to send it to the company. It was gone for a few months. When I called my dealer they informed me that there was good news and bad news. The bad news was that they lost my machine. The good news was that I was getting a new machine. Long story short…. I sold it in a garage sale for very little money.
In the meantime I switched to a Bernina. I bought the about 10 years ago. I love the machine. I also have other Berninas. I see where Bernina is making an offer for owners of the to trade for the Since my is about 10 years old and the no longer make that machine, I am considering making the change.
My questions: 1. Will the be as well built as the ? Your advise will be greatly appreciated to help me with my decision. Well, the answer is simple.
If you liked your , you will love the The bobbin and threading work the same way. But the screen is new much more user friendly and lots of software features have been added. I am certain Bernina will support the for at least another 5 years, if not longer.
They are known to make parts and handle service for machines at least AFTER they stop production. The is manufactured in Switzerland to the best of my knowledge. If you can afford it, you are probably an ideal customer for an As always, be sure to have a reliable dealer and take all your training classes.
Good luck and enjoy your machine! Juki is headquartered in Japan and has a US distribution center in Florida, that handles marketing, service and sales.
Some machines are made in Japan, others in China and VietNam. I bought a Husqvarna Viking Diamond deluxe in While I have no issues with the distributor of this machine in NZ. I take issue with the company — I sent an email regarding my concern that the machine was having problems, within weeks of first using it. Had I known that this was not the case of where it was made, I am darn certain no pun intended that would have chosen Bernina as I have owned one of these many years ago.
I would like your advice regarding the Bernina with the embroidery attachment. I do a lot of ordinary sewing and a reasonable amount of embroidery work? Are Bernina bringing out a machine to match some of the capabilities of the Brother Luminaire in the future? Thank you so much for your very informative comments. I am certainly going to be very cautious on what my next machine purchase will be.
Well, the Brother Luminaire is a pretty impressive machine. And to be perfectly honest, most folks who own the Brother high-end machines really like them, in my experience. As I always say…everything depends on your dealer. Some of these really deep features, even on the Bernina , are interesting to demonstrate, but no one ever uses them. My advice to you is to sit down and spend at least an hour on each machine.
Does the machine feel solid? Is the bobbin easy to get at and use? Is the embroidery flawless and relatively simple to set up? Size of hoop is a big plus. But whichever you choose, your dealer is everything. Also, you may want to check out the Bernina or , if you do a lot of sewing and some embroidery.
The 7 Series is one of my favorite lines from Bernina. Best of sewing luck to you! Thank you so much for the very informative reply. I have decided that I am going to purchase the Bernina , as the dealer was very helpful in showing me aspects of the machine etc. I have a Viking Designer Diamond Deluxe and it has been working great for 9 yrs. That being said, the next machine I will buy is either a Brother or a Babylock. I have a Babylock Crescendo sewing only machine and it is fantastic…. Vikings are now made in China.
The Brothers and Babylock are made in Japan top model, anyway Japan is topnotch in everything they make. I am buying most all my sewing notions from companies in Japan, even though I am mostly a made in USA person…. Babylock does make some nice machines. But check your sources on where they originate. The sergers are their specialty and have been for a long time.
The sewing machines are outsourced. This just goes to show that good machines can come from anywhere. I know they must be out there, but are hard to find.
I like Yoko Saito as a designer and I know Lecien is a Japanese fabric distributor, but I would not lay money down that they manufacture their fabric or threads in Japan. I might have to check further. Just purchased a Baby lock Aerial.
I am very disappointed it is not of the quality that I expected. I did my research. Firstly came without a case for the embroidery unit. The stitch quality is very poor and it will not stitch with prewound bobbins even with the manufacture supplied bobbin case and insert.
This is my third embroidery sewing machine and second Baby lock so I am very knowledgeable and experienced. The dealer is not being helpful at all and after spending all this money and have problems after less than an 3 hours of sewing… what has happened to Baby lock? Here is a customer service page from Babylock. Raise your voice. Tell them who your dealer is and how they have not been helpful. Tell them your issues with the machine.
You deserve to love your machine, and be taught to use it. And, I see that there are some updates available for your machine.
Ask the dealer if your machine has been updated. Get loud and good luck! I have a chance to purchase a Bernina B and was wondering if you have had any experience with this machine.
I would love to hear your input. I love the Solid as a rock, gorgeous straight stitch. Small distance from needle to machine, though, if you are thinking of quilting on it.
I wish it had presser foot pressure adjustment. Otherwise, I am a big fan…great for piecing. I want to buy new sewing machine for me. Which one do you recommend for me to buy bernina pe or bernina b or baby lock jubilant?
Please, help me with your advice. Janome makes machines for whoever wants them so you will see them in other countries under other names. Juki makes their own machines. Several years ago they made a series of Singers. Cathey Uzel Pundit. What Janome Sewing Machine is best? Janome Sewing Machine Review Center Bartlomiej Delorme Pundit. Is Elna and Janome the same? The company manufactures all of its machines in the same factories.
Simplicia Lausagarreta Pundit. How much are old Singer sewing machines worth? Some of the best sources for finding a vintage Singer machine include the following: Estate sales.
Emine El Wahabi Pundit. What is the best sewing machine? Here are the best sewing machines you can buy:. Are Bernina Sewing Machines good? Bernina Review. Sufen Groht Teacher. Who makes Juki? JUKI ranks as the no. Headquartered in Japan , the company currently has manufacturing facilities in Japan , China, Vietnam and markets its products on six continents, in about countries.
Gerasimo Wittk Teacher. Who makes Kenmore sewing machines? Kenmore is a brand name used by Sears Roebuck -- now Sears -- to identify the appliances it sells, and the manufacturers have varied over the years. For 20 years, from to , the White Sewing Machine Company produced every Kenmore sewing machine. Lavone Dubbers Teacher.
Who makes Bernina Sewing Machines? In , Gustav Gegauf left the company. By mid, one million Bernina zigzag sewing machines had been manufactured in Steckborn. Leora Zarate Reviewer. Husqvarna was initially a Swedish brand but is owned by Singer today. Countries famous for design and craftsmanship. Juki is also Japanese. They are actually the best-selling sewing machine brand in the world, even though brands like Brother, Singer, Bernina, and Pfaff are more widely known. This is probably due to the fact, that they both produce sewing machines for home use as well as commercial use.
Price range: , 4, Machines: Sewing machines, industrial sewing machines, sergers, long arm quilting machines, and embroidery machines. If you want a good and proper sewing machine, you should probably stay away from these brands. They are cheap for a reason, and we cannot recommend them. If you start out on a crappy model, you might just lose the interest in sewing altogether. These are cheap Chinese models, that will probably not last one season.
Always go for a well-known brand, then you also have a much better chance of finding a good repair shop and new parts. Skip to content There are literally hundreds of sewing machine brands , so it can be hard to tell the good from the bad.
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