New sewing maching purchase for daughter - advice appreciated!

If there was a patent, it expired. I have a Janome with a knee lift, and I believe some Brother machines have it too.

Iris

Thanks for all the replies. My wife and daughter went shopping today. They found a store that has sewing classes. They turn their machines over once per year (20 of them) and sell them off. My daughter put her name down for one (she is the 8th). They will be selling them off in 3 weeks and will call us in. It will be tuned up and have the balance of the warranty.

This is the machine. Did they do good? It is called a "baby lock" model "decorators choice". The retail is $1400US and they will buy it for $750US.

Is this the same machine as the Brother NX-400? If so I found that one on internet searching (I'm in Canada) and found a site up here that has a sale off of their ($899 CDN), $750US so it is actually cheaper than the listed price. Are they trying to hose my wife? Just looking for a heads up for a newbie.

Thanks Gary

In article , gary of Shaw Residential Internet uttered

Doing a *very* simple search with Google turned up this information straight away from the manufacturers' web sites;

Of course they aren't the same machine. The names on them tell you that, and the photos, before you even start to read the blurb. Now I've got you this far, it's up to you. Have a read of the features, and compare. Then do some homework *local* *to* *you* on new vs. used prices for the model(s) you're interested in. Only your wife can decide which machine she actually wants and whether the price is fair or a rip-off for the features she wants/ needs.

A dealer recon is going to be a better bet than a private 2nd-hand sale, but a machine that's been used week in week out for classes, particularly novices, is likely to have been thrashed.

The internet merchants have no classes, no customer service, no hand-holding after the purchase, no trade-up program where you can upgrade to a better model and get a generous trade-in allowance on your machine you bought from them, and sometimes no service -- and in some cases when the seller is not an authorized dealer you get no warranty. You need to weigh the value of these extras in the "complete meal" machine at the local dealer against the "a la carte" value of the machine sold by the internet retailer.

A relati> Thanks for all the replies. My wife and daughter went shopping today. They

If she's getting a lightly used one year old machine for half price, fully serviced and with guarantees, that's good.

I have no knowledge of that particular machine, but once you are into that price bracket, it's more of a matter how how well it suits the user than how good it is.

I bought the best I could afford at the time: a Husqvarna Lily 550, and a Huskylock 910 serger, both on a special offer deal. I use them almost daily as a professional dressmaker. I needed something tough, that would sew multiple layers again and again without complaint, and would sew for hours and hours without trouble. I also have and use a number of older machines. Lily and the serger are my workhorse machines.

My only problems have been minor in seven years of use. If your daughter can look back in seven years and say the same, you got a good deal! :D Tell her to enjoy it when it comes, but also look round for a serviceable used older machine (can be picked up for only a few dollars in junk shops) as a spare for when the fancy one is in the shop for servicing. KEEP IT SERVICED! *ESPECIALLY* if it gets lots of use! Mine go annually - more often in a heavy use year!

Do you find the treadle does things better than the electric? Now I'm thinking about cracking it up.

Angela

I don't know if they are trying to hose you......but if you pay pst in whichever province you live in.........That will add up quick.

LOL

I live in Saskatchewan and hate pst. I shouldn't hate it, I know its used for lots of things.....but I can still complain quietly!

Michelle Giordano

Huh they look identical and have the same features.

In article , gary of Shaw Residential Internet uttered

"Huh" they look *similar*. And one has twice as many automatic stitches, for a kick-off. But, have it your own way. I bow to your superior knowledge on the matter. So glad you managed to find the information once it was spoon-fed to you. And, fwiw, Babylock and brother are

*different* companies. They might out-source production to the same factories at times but they will *not* be producing identical models. But then, of course you know better. Whatever.

Thanks Melinda, I am going to take your advice. In Canadian funds, we found a local place that has the Brother NX-400 on sale (it is supposed to be the same machine as the Baby Lock Decorators Choice). It is on for $829 + GST ($690US) This is $60 less than the one year old ones! Wow you sure have to learn your stuff or you can get ripped off. I found a place on the internet for $699 + GST ($585US) including shipping but you have to send it back for warranty work. Shipping can add up and then you are without it longer. So for $130 we get peace of mind and all the other benefit you mentioned.

Have a great weekend, Gary

"Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply" wrote in message news:%W1ae.15832$ snipped-for-privacy@typhoon.sonic.net...

I said they look identical not similar.

YOU are an angry person, and I don't know why. I have had probably 30 different people help me with this purchase over the last 2 weeks or so and EVERY single one of them of them until today had been completely helpful and willing to share their knowledge with me in multiple posts and some very long posts.

YOU spoon-fed me??? Do you think that I have not already been to those sites? I have phoned around and have been told that those automatic stitches are pre-programmed and the newer they are - they will be programmed with more stitches. The one we are looking at today is up to 295 stitches. Some websites and brochures will be a bit behind others in keeping up with what is the latest programmed stitch count. I have been on many websites and the stitch count is different on most of them depending on when the website was last updated. I have also been told in my calling around that they are identical but they will always be programmed differently stitch wise in order to differentiate the products.

Being built at the same factory (internet searching tells me that Brother makes the Baby Lock in their plant) and being similar or the same in features (same according to the brochures I have), I will buy whatever is cheaper for a 13 year old and still think that it is an excellent product.

I may be wrong, but WHY do you have to be so condescending? You could have been polite, your 1st reply was even rude. I guess there is always one bad apple in the bunch, huh. My kudos to the rest of you here, I thank you again for being so helpful to me. My wife just put her name on the last Brother NX-400 in stock and I am going to pick it up this afternoon.

BTW I just bought a Kenmore dishwasher made by Maytag that is identical to a Maytag in features and internally. The outside look is a bit different but the controls are the same and it was quite a bit cheaper. Lots of companies do this.

Have a great weekend all, Gary

Gary, kilfile it and forget it. Nothing but sarcasm, condescension, and scatalogical slang from that quarter. I don't see its post at all unless someone else quotes it.

HTH,

Both companies outsource their machines. Neither have manufacturing plants. They use others for production and do minor assembly in their own facilities. Janome is the largest producer of sewing machines right now and they do most of the mid priced lines for all the companies. One thing to question is are there actually that number of stitches. HV has a bad habit of listing over XXXX number of stitches on their machines when they are actually counting the number of lengths and width as separate stitch's. If each stitch has a certain number of lengths and widths it can do it is possible to count each configuration as an individual stitch. After looking at both machines I would have to say they are very much in line with the Janome Decor series. Stylistically they are quite similar so I would hazard a guess that Janome makes both machines.

While I have been following the conversation but not commenting, I did not see where you were spoon fed by any means. You seem to have done the work needed to make an informed choice. You asked a question and I would have hoped that everyone here could have given you help with out hurt. You did not deserve those comments. Your a good Dad. I am sure you Daughter will be pleased with anything you buy her.

You should be aware that SOME companies do end up with IDENTICAL machines.....it happens often across all the machine companies. And many are identical internally with only the housing slightly different in colour or small style changes. Sergers are especially notorious for this trait.

In article , gary of Shaw Residential Internet uttered

They aren't bloody7 identical!

Try reading your posts ... no, forget it. The point is lost on you. You can't read, evidently.

Yes. Some of those posts were mine.

Yes. You asked whether these were the same machines. I found the descriptions and specs WHICH CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY ARE NOT. The information was the result of TWO VERY BASIC GOOGLE SEARCHES.

Well, as a matter of fact, yes. Since you didn't say where, if anywhere, you'd looked, and clearly hadn't a clue. Excuse me for answering your questions for about the fifth time in 21 weeks.

And each one IS A DIFFERENT MODEL OF THE MACHINE. OTHERWISE YOU ARE NOT COMPARING LIKE WITH LIKE.

Do what you like.

I wasn't. Why do you ask questions and then whine when someone points you to the answers. You asked were those two machines the same, and I told you. They are NOT. That is why they are DIFFERENT PRICES, DIFFERENT SPECIFICATIONS, DIFFERENT MARQUES.

I was and it wasn't. If you can't distinguish between rude and busy, tough. You could try contributing something around here instead of bombarding us with questions all the time.

Yup. And I'm glad the cap fits, you ignorant little man.

Considering it was supposed to be for your daughter, I hope it's what the kid wanted. Never had a day's bother with my Brother, and nor has my sis with her SIMILAR model.

{Condescending waffle about kitchen appliance snipped}

In article , Hanna's Mum of uttered

Yes, but these clearly aren't, as established by looking at the photographs (let alone the specs) on the two links I gave.

Thank you for that information.

We just got back from purchasing it. It is her birthday today so it is nice that she gets it today. She thought she was going to have to wait 3 weeks. The problem is she will get it after school and then we are going out to eat with family to celebrate. It will be hard on her at the restaurant knowing her new machine is at home waiting to be used.

She is a good kid and I like to promote her creativity. Growing up with a father who spent no time with his kids and called us names that put us down, I am trying to do the opposite and encourage and build the self esteem in my kids.

I know it is an expensive "toy LOL" but she is serious about the craft and has saved up more than half of the money herself.

BTW we turned in the old machine. They repair them and send them for free with a church group to Mexico who gives them to the poor they say are so appreciative for anything.

Gary

Gary, I'm so glad you found a suitable machine for your daughter. You and your wife and daughter put a lot of time and effort into choosing. Happy Birthday and happy sewing to daughter. Please tell her to come visit us often. There are lots of good people here who can give her tons of good help.We all love to see new sewists come along. It's a love that will last her a lifetime. Juno

Gary Ignore the troll. I believe it is the same one that is bothering other sewing list by the initials used. You have done a marvelous job of choosing a machine and this may just start a lifelong love of sewing. You are not your Dad, you are Her Dad...a really big difference.

I just got back from teaching 8-- 9-12 years olds how to do a 'Zipper Quilt' 3 of them were boys and all had a great time and so did the teacher. This is a very easy quilt to do and uses up scraps but is a decent size too. One little boy spent all morning fussy cutting his pieces so the faces on the animals all faced up.....that is dedication. We got most of the strips sewn together today and will start putting them together next week. If you can find something like this for your daughter it will get her started right. Group sewing is much fun.