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Moderated by Pyrose
Posted on: 8/12/10 7:27 PM ET
Ok, after extensive research I think we have narrowed our choices down to about 4, is that narrow??
Anyway, I am a beginner looking to embroider some childrens type things but want to make sure I get a 5x7 now so I am not upgrading tomorrow.. That being said, we are looking at the Bernina 340 new from a dealer including classes and service contract, Pfaff 2144 upgraded to 2170 supposedly for $250 less than the 340 from a dealer going out of business, Janome 350e is several hundred more than the 340 so I figured the 340 was a better choice since I understand they are the same machine and finally the Brother 770 which seems to be at least $200 less than the 340.
I thought I had it narrowed down to finding a used Janome or Bernina preferably of the 350e/340 model, after calling several dealers it seems used equipment is scarce right now. One dealer we visited was going out of business and had a Pfaff 2144 upgraded to a 2170 for $250 less than the Bernina 340. I know the machine is old but other than that I don't know much about them. What would others consider the best choice here?
And
Is automatic thread cutting the best thing ever? lol Would it cut it good enough to not need to be trimmed or will it still need to be trimmed?
Anyway, I am a beginner looking to embroider some childrens type things but want to make sure I get a 5x7 now so I am not upgrading tomorrow.. That being said, we are looking at the Bernina 340 new from a dealer including classes and service contract, Pfaff 2144 upgraded to 2170 supposedly for $250 less than the 340 from a dealer going out of business, Janome 350e is several hundred more than the 340 so I figured the 340 was a better choice since I understand they are the same machine and finally the Brother 770 which seems to be at least $200 less than the 340.I thought I had it narrowed down to finding a used Janome or Bernina preferably of the 350e/340 model, after calling several dealers it seems used equipment is scarce right now. One dealer we visited was going out of business and had a Pfaff 2144 upgraded to a 2170 for $250 less than the Bernina 340. I know the machine is old but other than that I don't know much about them. What would others consider the best choice here?
And
Is automatic thread cutting the best thing ever? lol Would it cut it good enough to not need to be trimmed or will it still need to be trimmed?
Posted on: 8/12/10 10:08 PM ET
go for the pfaff 2144/2170 i have the pf 2140/2170 love the machine it does embroidery nicely. i used it to make my granddaughter clothes with embroidery on and made two denim jeans with embroidery on it. it does a nice job.
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Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to god. And
The peace of god, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
The peace of god, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Posted on: 8/13/10 0:10 AM ET
Thanks for the info. I forgot to mention the dealer going out of business had a Bernina 200e in for repair but never paid the charges which means he had the machine only, no hoops or anything and it was $100 less than the 340 priced new and it was $150 more than the Pfaff. I don't know that much about the 200 but it didn't have the "table" like attachment on it that I am seeing in other pictures. It seems to be just the arm.
Posted on: 8/13/10 10:31 AM ET
Missing hoops can add up so don't forget to add that in, there is also the question of how used is used. Their technician should be able to tell you whether the stitch count is high. Some of us use ours for Etsy and craftshow endeavors. I purchased a Brother 780D about a year ago after comparing pretty much the same ones you are discussing. Each person who owns each particular one will tell you theirs is the best...lol I do have to say that I am very happy and don't regret my decision. I was guilty at first because all my other sewing machines are Janomes and I've talked friends and family into Janome lovers too. My next embroidery machine will be a Brother too. I'm already looking for a "back-up" for when I take it in for cleaning...lol
Posted on: 8/13/10 10:42 AM ET
Thanks for that information. I was looking to sell some stuff myself eventually too. At this point the Pfaff is being sold for half the cost of the ones I see on eBay so I think it may be worth it to buy it even if I just turn around and resell it for a profit. I see that the Pfaff uses a pretty proprietary cable from computer to machine and I would much prefer a more standard USB or thumb drive type hookup and I think I would like the free classes and service provided with a new offering. So I am thinking sell the Pfaff on eBay and purchase a new machine that includes classes and service contract. That being said I would probably be looking at the Bernina 340 or the Brother 770.
Any thoughts on all of the above?
Any thoughts on all of the above?
Posted on: 8/13/10 10:53 AM ET
I just called the dealer and he said it has 28 stitching hours and 37 embroidery hours... and now he says the bobbin case is missing so he can't demonstrate the actual functionality. He said it was there and that he tried the machine and it worked great but sticky fingers must have got a hold of it on the showroom floor. So now I can't verify that everything works as it should.
-- Edited on 8/13/10 11:18 AM --
-- Edited on 8/13/10 11:18 AM --
Posted on: 8/13/10 12:17 PM ET
I love my Pfaff sewing machine! I have used the Pfaff embroidery that you are considering and found the interface for the embroidery to be confusing. If you can try it out, do so. The missing bobbin case will probably be close to $100.
I have also embroidered on a Bernina Aurora 440 QEE, Baby Lock Ellageo, Brother & Janome 350 E. Of all of those, I found the Baby Lock, Brother and Janome to be the most user friendly. User friendly is really good if you're new to embroidery.
They all do very nice embroidery. For me it's about ease of use. Try all of them out. What didn't make sense to me, may make perfect sense to you.
Alathia
I have also embroidered on a Bernina Aurora 440 QEE, Baby Lock Ellageo, Brother & Janome 350 E. Of all of those, I found the Baby Lock, Brother and Janome to be the most user friendly. User friendly is really good if you're new to embroidery.
They all do very nice embroidery. For me it's about ease of use. Try all of them out. What didn't make sense to me, may make perfect sense to you.

Alathia
Posted on: 8/13/10 1:00 PM ET
I had the 2144 Pfaff upgraded to the 2170. It did awesome embroidery but the needle would drop out if you did not tighten it every thread change. It had something to do with the vibration transferred to the needle though the arm of the foot you use for embroidery on that machine. I think on the actual 2170 they changed the needle bar assembly to correct this. I got exasperated with the machine and sold it on Ebay. I do think it is possible for about $300 to get the needle bar assembly changed. My dealer admitted this was a problem. In my case I did a lot of altar cloths at our church and some were really long stitch outs in one color so I would sit in front of the machine with a timer set to 8 minutes to remind me to stop the machine and tighten the needle. Other than that it was a capable machine.
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Bernina Gal
Posted on: 8/13/10 2:42 PM ET
Thanks for the honest advice, I have read a lot of complaints that are the same as yours regarding the 2144. I am thinking that we might be happier with a more modern way to connect to the computer and with classes and support from a dealer. I am extremely tempted to buy that machine and sell it on ebay though. Now to figure out which machine I want to go with. So confusing. I have read all of the info over at evidently.org but I also realize it is a tad dated now.
Posted on: 8/14/10 5:41 AM ET
I had a 2170 for about 18 months, it can embroider lovely but it is not easy and its quite dated now. Its an old interface. if you are going to do all the work on the embroidery in other software its not such an issue but if you plan on using the machines capabilities have the dealer take you through getting an embroidery from the computer to the machine and make a few minor changes, do that with each machine on offer, the one that is the easiest and most intuitive for you that is the one I would go with.
That is pretty low sewing hours for a machine that is likely at least 5 years old - What is the stitch count? I would be very skeptical going into that depending on your own sewing and embroidery experience.
I never clicked with my 2170 I just didn't like using it but that is totally personal, I bought it second hand and besides slight tension issues at the begining it was fine. I had the brother 750D and loved it because it was - for me- very easy to use and never had a problem I uprgraded to another brother also very happy. It is though a personal thing, if your going into stores then definitely demo the process.
That is pretty low sewing hours for a machine that is likely at least 5 years old - What is the stitch count? I would be very skeptical going into that depending on your own sewing and embroidery experience.
I never clicked with my 2170 I just didn't like using it but that is totally personal, I bought it second hand and besides slight tension issues at the begining it was fine. I had the brother 750D and loved it because it was - for me- very easy to use and never had a problem I uprgraded to another brother also very happy. It is though a personal thing, if your going into stores then definitely demo the process.
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