Can you recommend a large-throat (not long-arm) sewing machine for a quilter?

Question

I'm interested in a sewing machine that has a larger throat than my 25-year-old basic Singer to make machine quilting easier, but a long-arm machine is totally out of my price range. The only web site I've found with machine prices and features is out of date (2002). Is there a good machine with a large...

Answer 1

I have a Janome 1600P-DB that I use on a Little Gracie II quilting frame. The machine does NOT have to be used with a frame - you can use it as a regular sewing/quilting machine. It has a 9" throat and a max speed of 1600 stitches per minute (the fastest home machine available). This is a very basic machine. It's essentially a straight stitch industrial sewing machine, no fancy stitches. Janome has three 1600P machines - the standard 1600P, the 1600P-DB, and the 1600P-DBX. The "DB" indicates that it uses a special type of needle, and they are a bit more difficult to find, but if you buy in bulk it isn't an issue. The 1600P and the 1600P-DBX have thread cutters and the 1600P has an automatic threader. The 1600P-DB is around $700 and the 1600P and 1600P-DBX are around $800.

The Janome 1600P is essentially the same machine as the Pfaff Grand Quilter and the Viking Mega Quilter. All are made by the same company, and all are similarly priced. Except the external appearance, they're the same machine.

Juki and Brother both have 9" throat machines, and both have a max speed of 1500 stitches per minutes. They're comparable in price to the others.

Recently, Husqvarna Viking has come out with a 10" throat machine called the Sapphire. This is a more complicated (and more expensive) machine. There are three levels here (830, 850 and 870), each with more stitches and doodads. It's a beautiful machine with lots of extras, but you will pay for them. The middle model (850) sells for around $1,700. If you intend to purchase a home quilting frame like the Little Gracie II, the Inspira, the Pinnacle, the GMQ Pro (all Grace Company frames) or the Hinterberg frame, I would NOT recommend the Sapphire. It's just to "fancy" a machine for the kind of heavy duty work it would get on the frame.

If you are interested in frame quilting without paying long arm prices (long arms can run between $15,000 and $35,000, or even higher), you do have some options. There are home frames that can be used with "regular" sewing machines like those discussed above. The larger frames can also be used with "longer" armed machines like Bailey (a stretched machine in either 13" or 15"). There are also mid-arm machine and frame combos like the HandiQuilter HQ 16 (a 16" machine) and the Tin Lizzie (an 18" machine). They cost between $5,000 and $10,000 depending on the extras you get. I wish now that I'd waited a few months and bought the Tin Lizzie instead of the Little Gracie and Janome (I paid around $1,500 for the pair). The additional 9" of throat space would be wonderful, plus it has a stitch regulator. There's a dealer just down the road - in fact, she was my original quilting instructor. If you think a home frame might be for you, seriously consider paying the extra for a larger mid-arm machine if you can afford it.

The HandiQuilter HQ16 also comes in a sit down version that is used off frame. It runs around $4,500.

Where you purchase the machine is almost as important as the machine itself. If you're thinking about the 9" machines, find out if you have a Janome, Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff, Juki or Brother dealer near you. Check them out. Having access to a dealer when you have problems is worth a few extra dollars.

Answer 2

I have the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 7700 with the 9 inch throat plate, a bunch of decorative stitches and automatic plate converter. It sews beautifully and with the dual feed foot it quilts nicely BUT it is the dickens to free motion with. It supposed to have speeds of 1500 spm but I burned up a rubber thingy under the bobbin with my first FMquilt (meandering). It still works, don't even know what that thing was, but I'm looking for a dedicated quilter now, like the Brother PQ 1500s. We're starting to travel and I don't want to drag around a $2300 machine! I have an old Deluxe Dressmaker to piece on and fmq's beautifully but the motor of 1.3 amps, which is substantial for a domestic machine, is built into a typically small housing where it can't breathe so gets hot and I have to stop too often. So I'm hoping the Brother can keep up with me--slowing down is not an option. :)

Answer 3

I purchased a Brother PQ 1500S Nouvelle and it is wonderful. It has a throat length of 9 inches. It only sews a straight stitch, but it sews it beautifully. I found mine on line at Ken's Sewing for around $600. I've also watched a Juki TL2010Q (almost identical to my Brother) and that too is an amazing machine to do free motion quilting on. If I were to compare the two, the Brother is less expensive by $400 and has a faster stitching speed. The Juki is a bit smoother and not as loud.

Answer 4

I just recently bought a Pfaff Grand Quilter Hobby 1200 and absolutely love it. It has a 9" x 6" throat space. I paid $750 at a quilt show for it, and it came with the extension table. I too had a Singer, and that small throat size was just too much to deal with. I understand that Pfaff and Janome are made by same folks. My mother had a Pfaff she made my clothes on as a baby, and so I had long experience learning on a Pfaff and that helped me in decision making.

Answer 5

Sharon Darling's a quilter who's been doing some reviews
of sewing machines and other quilting tools notions and books.
Her website lets you see all the sewing machines in the archive.

Tips and reviews of products, resources, books, and a weekly newsletter.

Sharon Darling has also written a book about how to find the very best sewing machine for you.

http://www.quiltersreview.com

Answer 6

I have a Janome 1600P which I love for machine quilting. It has needle down, knee lift and a thread cutter. It's about $1,000. It has a larger throat then my regular sewing machine.