The "Which Embroidery Machine Should I Buy?" Thread

[meltingfish]

Hi! I've been contemplating buying an embroidery machine for a while now, saving up cash and I'm completly lost on what to buy. So I was hoping that maybe some of you more seasoned craftsters would take pity and help out the n00b (me). I can't very well have them battle to the death, and I cant do what this guy did with M&M's: http://funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/11751/MM+battles/...
So please answer me:

• What machine do you use and why?
  
• Do you like it?

• How long have you had it?
• How long have you been using embroidery machines?

All extra tips, comments, advice etc are welcome 
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[madeupnorth]

O mod jungrrl, may I humbly suggest a merged and stickied thread on this topic? Like the mother-of-all-corset-threads, "Which machine should I buy?" is a perennial fave.

meltingfish, I really only have experience with one machine (a Brother Innovis 2500D), so I'm afraid I can't be too much help with the compare-and-contrast. But for what it's worth, it does the job nicely. A lot of people say to get the biggest hoop size you can possibly afford -- at least a 5x7 will give you a lot more flexibility. I think the ability to bring designs to the machine on a thumb drive is pretty desirable. Most machines stand on their own, but a few (like my cohort Niamh's Singer Futura) need to be hooked up to a PC to run. Just a few things to consider while you're looking...

Enjoy the search and the eventual machine embroidery!  

[Yarn or Fabric]

Most people start off with either a Janome 350e or a Brother 750ii.
There are those that love both of them
I used to have a Janome 350e but now have a 4 needle machine - which has its pros and cons - biggest con being that it threads like a serger almost and that it is heavy so you just can't pick it up   Pros - it stitches out beautifully, doesn't suck fabric up in to the embroidery area as often since it's a free arm machine  and I can hoop things that others can not without ripping it apart...

Best advice - if you have local dealers check them out.  Dealer support is the best thing you can get.
I had to take my 350e in a few times after getting it to tweak this or that.  A good dealer is awesome.
If you don't have a good dealer nearby and want a Janome or a Brother let me know - my local dealership (no, I do not get a kickback) is awesome and they do ship 

[FriendlyJas]

Thanks for this thread. It has helped a lot. I'm just looking at the idea of maybe getting an embroidery machine. I needed kind of a price reference to determine if I even wanted to really look into it. I plan on peeking at your projects to see if that inspires me to start campaigning for an embroidery machine. I would prefer an embroidery only machine. (I have a Babylock sewing machine that I adore!) Any further suggestions on machines with that in mind?

[sabbathlily]

Is it possible that this machine will do the job...

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02094149000P?vName=Appliances&cName=Garment+Care&sName=Embroidery

?

I'm a total newbie when it comes to sewing machines in general and would love to have a machine that does both. Is this machine the thing that I crave?

[NeitherSparky]

If they would have given a model number that would have helped. Unless someone recognises the machine by its looks alone I'm not sure if we can give you an answer... :/

[Yarn or Fabric]

That machine is only going to have a 4x4 hoop - which is very limiting.  You would be better off getting a Brother 700ii and getting a different embroidery machine.  Trust me when I say it is very  boring just sitting there watching an embroidery machine run.  You will want to sew on a project while the embroidery machine is running.

If the only thing you plan to ever do is small things or monograms then you can get away with a 4x4 hoop but everyone I know that has started off with a low end machine like that has replaced it very quickly and wished they had bought a better one right off the bat.

You can check your local Craigslist as well to see if anyone has one for sale used.  People sell those machines with the 4x4 hoop often since they upgrade to at least a 5x7 hoop.

[kitschicat]

Hello everyone!

Well, I don't have a question as to which machine to buy, because mine just arrived on Tuesday. I decided on a Janome Memory Craft 9500, which is a sewing/embroidery combo machine. So far, I'm quite happy with it, however, that's an opinion with limited weight, as it is very fresh. But I have a Janome serger and have been pleased with it thus far, and I liked many of the features on the Janome versus other machines offering an embroidery option.

I lost my job of almost nine years this past March due to downsizing, and we just moved out to a 14-acre farm last autumn, so we are really trying to figure out how to make it work so that I can stay at home and generate some income from here. I'm hoping sewing/embroidery projects will provide that outlet. I come from an IT background and my salary loss was fairly significant, but we have made, and continue to make, lifestyle adjustments to try and accommodate that loss. With the 15% unemployment rate here in Michigan, it makes sense to try and start something on my own, because frankly, there aren't a lot of jobs out there! Plus I've had health issues, so working from home is the best option.

I am not sure that in the long term this machine will provide what I need if I do indeed build up some business. Many years ago, (1993-1997), I worked for Melco Embroidery Systems, so I come from a commercial orientation when it comes to machine embroidery experience. I think that probably helps cushion the blow in terms of prices - while $1400 for a home machine can seem steep, compared to the startup costs on a basic machine back then, it seems reasonable to me, all things considered. Even today, a basic Melco setup would cost me about $10k. I remember back when digitizing software could run up to $40,000 (Wilcom) - and like anything, as the technology grows, the prices fall on the older stuff, and things fall into place so that there are more options out there. I'm really glad to see the Embird software being available, and when the time comes, I'll be looking up the vendor who is a member on this site to purchase it.

I've downloaded and installed the SophieSew (http://sophiesew.com/) software to try and play with it, but so far, it's just been providing excellent crashes. So I seriously doubt it will suit digitizing needs once I reach that point.

It's been a long time since I've done machine embroidery and so far I'm loving it, but who knows what will happen; I may decide that I just want to do this for fun and not for a living, which is one of the reasons we didn't invest in commercial equipment at this time.

Anyway, I just want to say I think the 9500 is a great piece of equipment based on my research and my experience on it so far. If I find faults with it, I'll definitely document those for review here.

[kitchen witch]

Hi all!
  Thanks for lots of great information about buying machines!

I read on here that Elna is made by Janome.  It seems like a lot of people recommend the Janome 350, but they say it is similar to the Elna 8200 Xperience.  The Elna is a lot less expensive (and more in my budget...)
  Does anyone have experience with Elna?  I am attracted to the 5X7 hoop and the editing software that comes with this machine.  It is such a hard decision, picking out a machine!  I have been researching for a couple of weeks!

Thanks for your time 

[Yarn or Fabric]

I wish I had an answer for you on the embroidery machine but I am not familiar with the Elnas at all.  Janome might not make all of them either.  I will say that having an auto threader doohickey on it is like gold.  It really is.  You might not think that having it makes that big of a difference but when you're sewing out a design that has like 12 colors in it, squinting to thread the needle gets super tedious....

Janomes can be a bit pricey that's for sure but they are nice.  Janome makes at least one of the Bernina models - or Bernette I should say - and it is the Janome equivalent to the 300 which is not as nice as the 350e.

Brother also makes a nice machine too.  I am very very happy with my Brother.