Husqvarna Viking Lily & Rose sewing machines

Just wondering... Does anyone know which is newer - the rose machine
or the lily?

They came out at about the same time, as Lily and Rose were part of the previous set.

I just recently did a survey for names for a new HV line. They didn't have open suggestions, just asked for their suggestions to be ranked, and why those were preferred. Curiously, a lot of the names were offered in English then again in Swedish, like they would consider using Swedish names on machines distributed in English-speaking countries.

Thanks Kate, but I remember a few years ago someone here saying they had one of these machines - then the other came out. I want to buy the newer of the two (types).

It isn't so much that one is newer than the other. They are both of the same line-up of machines one just has more features than the other. I think the Rose was the step up from the Lily but you'd need to ask HV about that. Or possibly you could check out eBay and see the specification details on an individual offerings of both machines to find out the differences. Hope this helps, AK in PA

The Lily 450 & 550 came out at the same time. Later, HV changed the 550 cosmetically (the colours on the trim changed to harmonise with the rest of the range) and they called it the 555. I bought my original Lily in 1998 when they were HV's latest thing, and it's replacement (stolen - long story!) in 1999. I think it changed to the 555 the following year.
The Rose is an embroidery machine, the Lily is not. It has a raft of utility and decorative stitches (240 of them) but does not do full embroidery. Your decision should be based on what you want to do (embroidery or largely garment construction), not the age of the machine. That will only be relevant if you have two on the bench the same to choose from, and even there I'd go for evidence of use rather than calendar age.
Mind you, I've used mine HARD (I sew professionally), and it shows little evidence of it so far... A little cosmetic damage to the extension table (where a customer's cheapo fabric dyed it! Grr!) and a few dints and scratches on the case (I carted it to class for a while and now occasionally cart if off to strange places to teach on it). It shows no marks from when I had to haul a horrid brat off it as she tried to use it to boost her way onto a table, using it as a stepping stool...

The Lily 550/555 was the top of the line non-embroidery machine, with 240 stitches and memory functions. The Rose was an embroidery machine: fewer built in stitches (nothing like so many decorative ones, but I think it had all the utility ones), but full embroidery functions, fed in on cards. The Orchidea was the top of the line embroidery machine in this range. The Designer range was based on the Orchidea.

Hm... Ok, thanks. Could you get the decorative stitches the Rose was missing, through the embroidery function?

Dunno... Probably. I never looked into it as I was looking more at the Lily. I didn't want embroidery. I rarely use the decorative stitches (though the kids like them), and got the 550 for the raft of utility stitches, the letters and numbers, and the 10 different buttonhole styles. I'll have a poke about and see if I can find out for you.
If you are looking at buying a Rose, it will be used. Make sure you get all the embroidery cards you can with it: I don't know what is still available, nor do I know if new designs are still coming out for it. I have a feeling that it isn't one of the machines you can put your own designs into.
They were very good machines, but embroidery machines have moved on in leaps and bounds in the last 8 or 9 years.

You can put your own designs on the Rose. You need a reader/writer or amazing box and a programmable card to convert designs from your computer to the card. There are tons of designs available commercially or you can invest in digitizing software and make your own.
If you are really wanting to get into embroidery you'll really want to consider a larger embroidery field. While you can do designs larger than 100 cm x 100 cm it is a tedious and not always accurate thing to do.
Barbee

Oh, good. I have a feeling those weren't available when the machine first came out, which was when I was looking at it and deciding not to buy it. :) Me wanna wonna theeez fings: ;)

Kate... Do you know what the difference between the Lily 545, 550 & 555 was?
Allan

Between the 545 and the 550 it was the number of stitch function, alphabets, and memory... Between the 550 and the 555 it was the colour of the trim! Try here:

>Between the 545 and the 550 it was the number of stitch function, >alphabets, and memory... Between the 550 and the 555 it was the colour >of the trim! >Try here: Heh - thanks!

Hi,
I have a a 555 and it's excellent. I bought it because I wanted to do dress making rather than embroidery and it's a top of the range dress making machine. I looked at the embroidery machines and it seemed to me that they might have fewer dress making functions thought I wasn't completely sure. I see that the orchidea is really coming down in price now but when I bought my mahcine they were really expensive and I wasn't sure that they did all I wanted.
I bought used, and though I found many machines on ebay I actually got one from the for sale section of a sewing magazine. The prices were good and I gave an offer =A350 below the asking price. I got the impression that they were definately being sold by the owner rather than someone who had picked up the machine in a sale, which was reassuring. I got the feeling that an owner who was involved enough to read a sewing magazine would have taken good care of the machine too.
One slight concern that I had about buying used was that they computer parts of the machine are only meant to last six years or something but my machine is going fine and I use it a lot.
Jen

Well, I've used mine heavily since 1999, and the only problems I've had were mechanical! The handle mounting broke and was fixed under guarantee Faulty moulding), and thread caught in an inaccessible place in the tension mechanism and gave symptoms of step motor problems. Both were easily fixed by my OSMG. I get her serviced regularly, and in the seven years I've had her, she's done a LOT of miles on some tough stuff, and there's very little she cannot cope with.