I'm thinking of buying either a Brother SE-350 or a Brother Innov-is 900D. This will be my very first experience with a combo embroidery/sewing machine as my current machine is a mechanical only (no computer at all) 20 year old Pfaff. Any opinions out there? I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

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Originally posted by Mola Mola Marie:
I'm thinking of buying either a Brother SE-350 or a Brother Innov-is 900D. This will be my very first experience with a combo embroidery/sewing machine as my current machine is a mechanical only (no computer at all) 20 year old Pfaff. Any opinions out there? I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

Its a personal preference buying a new machine.I have Janome8000,also a Husqvarna which does larger embrioderies.So many different models on the market now.Best idea is go to the shop, and have them demonstrate it for you,that way you can see what it is your really searching for in a machine,its much like buying a new car really.Only you can decide.HTH

I got a lot of info at this website when I was looking for a new serger.
www.patternreview.com
Anya

Thanks everyone for your help! I've decided to wait for a while and keep my beloved mechanical machine until it dies...then I'll see. I especially liked the suggestion of patternreview.com...the web site was a big help.

Marie,

I own the Babylock version of the Brother machines and am extremely satisfied with them as the logic of the process works with the "non-geekiness" of my brain. I have owned Babylock embroidery/sewing machines for 14 years and will update when the newest version comes out in the fall. As for the ones you mentioned, you will be restricted in the size of the hoop, therefore, the size of your designs. To save money in the longrun, purchase an embroidery/sewing machine that offers at least the 5 x 7 hoop. Again, in shopping all the brands of machines, the Brother/Babylock was the one that spoke to me.

Kelly

Here is another thought you may want to think about is the format the embroidery system is using? I am luck that I have friends that I sew with and they have a differnt machines then I but, the same embroidery format. We do share want we own in embroidery design. It a thought.

My old beloved machine is a Pfaff 1214. Since parts are no longer available, sob. I purchased the Babylock Quest. I LOVE IT! It is my Pfaff reincarnated and then some. Has the wonderful walking foot, some preset embroidery stitches and tons of "functional" stitches.---Denise

Oops, forgot to add that I bought the Babylock Imagine Wave. I can't believe how fabulous this machine is. So easy! ----Denise

Denise,
Now that you have the Imagine Wave ( which is the best serger on the market ), you can purchase the Janome Coverstitch Pro and have all the features of the Babylock Evolve - for much less money.

Kelly

I would keep a mechanical to sew on while the embroidery machine was running by itself. While you are shopping don't forget to check out the Janome machines. I love mine. They are simple to operate and I can use Embird instead of expensive propriatory machine software.

As a salesman for Brother/Babylock and Janome, this is what I have found. The B/B are more technologically advanced, user friendly, and have great warranties. Personally, I prefer the Janome sewing machine just because they are so tough. My personal embroidery/sewing machine is the Babylock Ellegante, and I am so completely delighted with it !! As for the 350 and the 900, they are entry level machines with limits on the size of hoops/designs. Remember that a machine can usually read a smaller hoop than what comes with the machine, but not a larger hoop. Most of the designs used are in the 5x7 hoop, but the 4x4 and smaller are great for baby things and collars and cuffs. I have learned firsthand the expensive way of purchasing the wrong machine. The Brother 1200 is a combo machine that gives you the 4x4 and 5x7 hoops. The Janome 350E is also a dynomite machine.

Your best bet is to visit all the major brands and play with them. I ended up with the B/B because I am not a computer person, and the logic behind these made sense to me. As for the software, the B/B was also the one most versatile and user friendly. It really depends on what you want to accomplish with it. Some of the brand-specific softwares are frightening!

Don't be fooled by the reputation of some brandnames because some of the most famous are not being manufactured by that company. Some are not even "companies" anymore. Make friends with a salesman who is up front and not commision driven.

Kelly

My four machines are all Janomes -- I have both the Memorycraft 10000 and the 11000, and my overlockers/sergers are the Compulock and a 634D. I wouldn't trade any of them for another brand. But I think whatever brand one chooses, one must be sure that their dealership and repair/service folks are top notch and that you trust them.