Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

[VickiJ]

Hello Everyone!

I'm looking to upgrade my sewing machine and I'd love for any BERNINA users to give me their honest opinions on their machine.

I have to say I honestly wasn't looking to upgrade with such a pricey machine, BUT - for the next 5 days, a local shop is giving 60 MONTHS NO INTEREST on any Bernina machine $3K and up! They offer 17 different machines and I am overwhelmed at the choices.

I am looking to quilt and embroider. I want to be able to FMQ at home, and embroider my own quilt labels.

These are the models my dealer sells that caught my uneducated eye, but please, if your model is not listed - tell me about it anyway. Maybe they have that one too!

560E
570QE
570 QEE
740
770QE


I thank you for your time!

[KarenC]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

Well I don't know anything about these machines, but I have a 32-35 year old 1230 model which I won't give up for anything. It is not good for FMQ and does not embroider, but it stitches like a dream. Very good quality.

[Jean Sewing Machine]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

My daughter got the 770QE last summer. She is using the 60 month no interest deal to pay for it. It has somewhat of a learning curve because it has so many features. She got the stitch regulator. She has quilted several quilts on it and they turned out great. She's doing mostly straight line stitching, but is practicing FMQing to get good enough to use it on a quilt. It has a very "smart" screen that tells you about your mistakes! And it takes a huge bobbin! I think she is happy with her purchase.

I have a 40+ year old 807 Bernina that still sews like a champ. They do last a very long time!

[kjdboyd]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

I have a 730 and 830 and love them. I have also used both the 7 series and 8 series machines in
The classrooms at my store and love them all.

[MSN]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

I have owned the 790 for about two years. I have used it mostly for piecing quilt tops. It comes with an embroidery module and three hoops. Upgrading to a larger hoop was a significant investment ($300 during a 25% off sale). The walking foot was similarly expensive, as are bobbins. Like everything Bernina, it's great quality, but you pay for it. It's definitely not for the budget minded sewist.

Having said that, I love the 700 series. It stitches like a dream and has a decent amount of throat space. I am just learning how to FMQ, and I wanted to purchase a machine that I would nor outgrow. This 790 will likely be the last sewing machine I ever need to buy.

[just4me]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

I have a 5 year old Bernina 710...the base model (now discontinued) for the 7 series machines. The very early ones did have quite a few teething problems and whilst I don't think mine was one of the first early ones it has still certainly given me some frustrating times and has needed parts replaced. I don't like it for quilting. It came with the BSR and even though I am a novice at fmq I found the BSR distracting and I preferred to fmq without it. I've recently decided I will sell my BSR, Westalee Ruler foot and Adaptor shank and the Bernina Walking Foot as I no longer use any of them.

Last year I purchased a Juki TL2010Q and I must say I do prefer it for all aspects of patchwork and quilting. If I had my time over I probably would not have purchased the Bernina....I simply got "caught up in the moment". Having said that, there are heaps of people who are better sewers, seamstresses, and crafters than me and they love them and swear by them....it just wasn't the right machine for me.

[MaryD]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

My Bernina is 43 years old. She has lived a hard life (having been used as a treadle machine for eight years), but runs like a dream and has never let me down.

[whippetmom]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

I have the 770QE, I LOVE IT. I needed something for sewing bags and love the Dual Feed, it sews like a champ. It is turning into my go to machine. I also have the Ellisimo Gold and a 10 needle embroidery machine, but if I did not have those, I would have spent the extra money to get the embroidery unit. So far there is nothing I cannot sew with my Bernina, I have quilted quite a few king size quilts on it also. Work with it for awhile and then when they have a 25% off sale, get all the dual feed feet you can buy, they are worth their weight in gold. If possible buy the ruler foot right away, it works like a champ with all the quilting rulers out there.

[Bernina2]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

Bernina machines are wonderful machines.
I would take advantage of this special.
You will never regret buying a Bernina.
I have the virtuousa150 QE, bought used in 2008.
Never had a problem and has great stitches, I use
this machine to piece quilt tops.
I have a Artista 180 bought new in 1998, I have
it set up with the embroidery module for embroidery.
LAQ have always commented on how nice my
embroidered quilt blocks/quilts are.
Once you own/sew on a Bernina, you will
never own another machine.

[VickiJ]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

I am so grateful for all of your insights. Bottom line is - as I expected - you do get a good quality machine for all that money. LOL

The timing is so weird and like Just4me mentioned - I don't want to get "caught up in the moment" on such a big purchase. I just decided to look into different machines earlier this month and here comes this offer for what I consider a "holy grail" machine that I ordinarily would not have even had in the picture.

I'm not really big on buying things on credit, which is why I was thinking of seeing what I could get in the $600 - $800 range. But 60 months with NO finance charges is kind of a big deal to me.

Sucks that the shop doesn't give the whole month (is March National Quilting MONTH??!) to decide, I don't like the pressure of 5 days only. LOL

[VickiJ]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

You know, when I decided to start looking to upgrade I told myself to be very thorough. Check out Juki, Brother, Janome - really do some research. Then this offer came in my email box and I'm all crazed. LOL I don't want to get "caught up in the moment" either. Thanks for a different perspective!


Note: This was suppose to be a response to just4me - guess I'm out of posting practice. LOL

[Jean Sewing Machine]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

I am so grateful for all of your insights. Bottom line is - as I expected - you do get a good quality machine for all that money. LOL

The timing is so weird and like Just4me mentioned - I don't want to get "caught up in the moment" on such a big purchase. I just decided to look into different machines earlier this month and here comes this offer for what I consider a "holy grail" machine that I ordinarily would not have even had in the picture.

I'm not really big on buying things on credit, which is why I was thinking of seeing what I could get in the $600 - $800 range. But 60 months with NO finance charges is kind of a big deal to me.

Sucks that the shop doesn't give the whole month (is March National Quilting MONTH??!) to decide, I don't like the pressure of 5 days only. LOL

I have purchased almost all of my big machines using the financing option offered by the sewing machine dealers. Also mattresses, air conditioners, lap tops through those home credit companies! It just spreads out your pain ( of parting with your money) over time. You can pay it off completely at any time. The only warning is FINISH PAYING IT OFF BY THE FINAL DATE OF YOUR CONTRACT. If you don't, they will charge you the entire interest for the whole term of the loan! So keep an eye on that ending date to make sure it is completely paid off by then.

And they offer these deals often through the year, so if you miss it now, it could be sweeter sometime in the future!

[MSN]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

My machine had been used exactly one weekend before I purchased it (Bernina provided the machines for a "Sewapalooza" weekend). Just like how a new car depreciates as soon as it's driven off the lot, my machine was discounted 30% for that one weekend's worth of use (a few thousand stitches). It still came with a full warranty. They also threw in free "luggage" (heavy-duty rolling case for the sewing machine and embroidery module), and the first cleaning was free. Once I had decided that this was the model I wanted, the discounted price and luggage sealed the deal.

[IwantItgreen]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

I have the 770QE and love it also. If you are not in a hurry, wait for the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. The last 2 years they gave you a free embroidery module or a 330 sewing machine for free at that time. Start saving now!

[Heather]

Re: Hey BERNINA Users: your opinions, please!

I have the 750 QE. I really like this machine, and would buy it all over again. But... I'm going to give you the real dirt... IMHO.
1) this is just an "in general" observation: the needle threader could be designed better.
2) the machine is a computer. So, when my motherboard went out, the machine would not turn on. *At all* there was nor warning, just one day - pouf and done. The replacement parts were covered under warranty, but I still owed the local shop for their time. This was an acknowledged problem that I believe Bernina has resolved in the newer models. Ask about this at your retailer.
Other than these two points, I've nothing but good to say about the machine. It's superior to the other machine I was using, in every way.