Well folks----it's 4:00 in the afternoon and my research started at 5:45 this morning for a new sewing/quilting machine! It hasn't been completely uninterupted----I DID make it downstairs for about an hour before lunch. If I didn't, I would have just Clicked the stinkin' BUY button on this Janome 4400. Selling for $699.00 seemed SUCH a good buy----BUT, I was disciplined. I KNEW I needed to really research my options ......
so....most of the morning consisted of mannnnny Janome sites after excluding the Bernina's. Trust me---(I think I even posted my 'passion' on Quiltville this morning)---If I suddenly won the lottery, my ULTIMATE dream machine would be the Bernina 440QE (stitch regulator and all the bells-n-whistles). But----**sigh**---- WAAAAY too expensive ($3500**GULP**).
My Janome choices were narrowed down to the 4400, 4800QE, and the 6600 within an hour. THEN came a couple of hours of searching through reviews on the three machines. A great website for reviews: PatternReviews.com. Bottom-line---even though the 6600 seemed to be top of the line of the three, I just couldn't see the price vs. some of the downfalls of the machine (~$1500.00). The big PRO about the 6600----harp size (bed size) is 9 whopping inches instead of the 7" standard. The big CON seems to be the plate and fabric always getting "pushed" down into the bobbin housing. So, by lunch, I had narrowed my list to basically the 4800QE or the 4400.
Then, when I came back online after lunch, there was an email from a lady an hour north of me---she has the 4800, but suggested the 6600 since her sister and mother each have one and love it. After a few emails back-n-forth, she informed me that a quilt shop 30 minutes away carries Janome's. So---phone call to the quilt shop. They carry the 6600 for $1599.00, but not the 4900 (replaced the 4800). However, she said it wouldn't be a problem to order a 4900 ($1100.00) if that was my final choice. So--my hope tomorrow is to go to the shop after my 5K race (will update about that later) before it closes to try out the 6600.
And that's where I left things for about an hour.
Then came another email. This one from the southern part of the state, an hour away from my "home-town." She informed me that the LQS was closing and selling Bernina's at reduced prices. I thanked her kindly for the information, but dismissed it without a second thought. Until, 30 minutes later----and I figured I'd just call to see what the prices were dropped to....
So--phone call to the shop, and the owner answered. Come to find out, she was closing THAT shop, but keeping her OTHER one open that is MUCH closer to me (2 hours versus 4 hours away). I mainly asked her about the Bernina 440QE, but also asked about the 430, (since that is was Angela purchased). She was all out of the 430's but quoted me $2924.00 for the 440. *GULP* Yeah right----
and then...
...."oh, I also offer a 15 month/no interest finance plan."
Aghhhhhhhhhh!! She just HAD to put that little tid-bit in!!!! So my mathematical mind was saying..."WOW---that's affordable now---really, it's only about $200/month---ask more about it....."
So, another 15 minutes of conversation lead to directions to her other store and a meeting time of noon at her other store to "test run" the 440.
DH Paul just got home, and after giving him the "short version" of the day's research, he said "Duh---get it."
To be continued....
2 comments:
You put me to shame Amy, with the way I bought mine - a complete impulse buy, no research at all. Luckily, I'm very happy with it. Here's hoping you get something that you're delighted with.
I can't wait to see what you get. I looked at the 440 vs the 430, the stitch regulator seemed to be the main difference. I forget whether the embroidery module comes with the 440, or if it is separate. But in the end, everything else could be added later. When you think about $200 a month for your passion, it seems very reasonable. My husband put it in perspective by saying that my machine, even though it was expensive, still cost less than our TV, and gets used much more. Let us know what you decide, whichever way you go, just wait until you sit down to quilt your first top -- it's so different when you aren't fighting with the tension and thread breaking.
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