I don't think I can give you any advice. I was looking for a better machine myself. I had a Brother and didn't know whether to stay with them or go a different route. I ended up getting another Brother mainly because I own the PE-Design. Granted, it is only version 4, but it is better than nothing! :)

MM I had thought about a singer 4 a second machine & did some investigating I never bought a 2nd machine but had decided I would stick with brother, Babylocks. Singer used to b the best that could b had back n the old days prior to embroidery machines. They r no longer owned by the people who owned the company back then. I do not know anything else. Hope some of the other qTs can help U *4U

Hi Marymoore--I have a Singer Futura CE-200 and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! I have always had Singer sewing machines, but this is the first embroidery machine I purchased. I heard a lot of negative comments about this machine also. I even went to a well known Sewing/Quilting shop in Frederick ( they are the authorized dealer for Singer) and was told they hate singer machines. But I have noticed they sell Singer accessories. I then went to Joanns Fabrics and the lady in there informed me that Singer was the worst product being sold. When I asked why, she replied because they have no customer support and there is no place to get lessons. Both of these shops sell the high-end machines such as Husquarvna?, Bernina and Pfaff. After considerable research I purchased the Futura CE-200. I AM GLAD I DID!!! I read the manual (on occasion I still refer to it), joined many of the Yahoo groups including ones for the Futura users and opened my ears up and listened. I have not had any problem with my machine that I could not figure out. I did have to call Singer support (They were EXTREMELY helpful) when I purchased their add-ons. They are a little tricky to add to the Futura program. I was able to load them with the assistance of their support personnel. Even though there are no classes in my area for the Singer--I prevailed by using my knowledge of sewing and using patience!!! Sorry this is so long--but it really irritated me when all of these shops informed me that Singer was not a good product. I KNOW IT IS A GREAT PRODUCT!!!! Hope this helps. Bonita

Only suggestion I have for you is - please consider getting one that has up to 6"x10" hoop -- believe me, even after you get that 5"x7" you are going to want that bigger hoop! I'm doing something now that I need that 6"x10" -- I began with a Brother 270D - only did 4x4 - then bought BabyLock Ellageo - does 4x4, 5x7 and 6x10. BabyLock and Brother both compatible - very similar to use and the attachments are interchangable. Not saying to get Babylock - only saying keep in mind that larger hoop!

make sure you have the hoop sizes you want or that the machine you get ,,,you can get bigger hoops for it. good luck Mary...........Joyce

Why don't you do a search of reviews on Singer machines? It may help you make up your mind. I know that Singer are made in Japan in the Juki factory at exactly the same place where my very expensive Elna XQ2 was made. They also make many other top brands, but this is not well known. As industrial machine manufacturers Juki are supposedly rated amongst the best available. According to other Elna XQ2 owners, it is extremely rare to have a problem with them and I was very, very, unlucky.
I do know the Singer XL6000 is almost identical to my Elna XQ2 and even though I could buy any machine i want (according to DH) I'm waiting for my Elna to come back and I think if I WAS going to buy another I would give the Singer XL6000, very serious consideration.
I will see if I can locate the website where i found all the machine reviews. hugs, Meganne
check these out.... second one is one i was talking about...

I had a Brothers 1200 but traded it in for the Brothers 4500D Duetta. You really should check this one out..SOOO many wonderful features....FAST--sews-embroiders-serges- quilting ability....

I also am looking to purchase a second machine, so I can have a larger embroidery field. I am torn between another Brother and a Janome. After reading your post and the remarks here I did go to HSN and look at each model. One of your best resources is right there in reviews.
The Singer machine has an avg rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars w/15 reviews.
Brother has an avg rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars w/32 reviews.
I am leaning towards staying with Brother because for one thing I won't have to convert my already huge collection of designs from .pes to another format and also the additional investment of ped basic and my vikant card reader which added about another $100+ to my initial purchase of my Brother SE350.

Mary, I prefer 2 seperate machines...that way while 1 is embroidering I can be sewing on the other :) I have completed more projects this way....BUT if space is an issue definatly go with 1 that does both! Have a GREAT Day:-)

From what I can remember when I went looking for machines, the singer does not store designs on machine, has to be connected to computer for the embroidery designs.

Good luck on your decision. Can't help you there. I've been a Viking person since the 1970's but grew up on the realiable Singer of my mothers.

Mary, we like to think our machines will work forever with no problems. BUT the reality is they DO need service sometimes! I suggest you go with a local dealer that offers classes, service, etc with the machine. I know there is a Viking dealer in the Nashville area, but don't know who it is. Am sure there are Brother dealers, etc. Many dealers do not repair other machines. It cost more to send it back to the factory than it will to go with a local dealer. I also suggest you get one that does both sewing & embroidery unless you are keeping your current one to actually sew on & it's in good working order. If something is priced too good to be true, it probably is "too good to be true!" You usually get what you pay for. After moving to the Knoxville area I needed work done on my Viking machine. I went to a dealer that said they worked on all machines (had the names listed in the yellow pages); they kept my machine for 2 weeks, I called & was told they couldn't work on Vikings! I called the Viking dealer, told them I was new to the area & the problem; I had my machine back in 3 days & was able to finish my project before going into the hospital to have a hip replacement!! Been with them for 8 yrs. now & always get good service.

Hi Mary, I have a Singer XL6000 and love it... the problem Singer made was they started building their machines in Taiwan (this is what 2 Singer dealers told me)...targeting mass quantity/production (Walmart, Joann's) and consequently hurt their image. The XL6000 (the only Singer model machine) however is built at the Juki factory... so this particular machine is unlike the rest... not mass produced. I believe Singer's reputation is on the mend, but it will take a while to overcome the poor decisions that were made from mohagony row (management).

As with any purchase, I would buy from a dealer ONLY... whether it be a Singer, Viking, Babylock, etc... this hopefully guarantees you support as well as on-site repair and training.

I am sure that you will arrive at a decison ;) *2U

Mary,
I have the Brother PE 700II and it is so easy to use. I took it out of the box turned it on and started stitching emediately! I cant say enough about it. I bought it from HSN of course and that was great cause I didnt have to come off a ton of money up front. I love that I can find a design and send it strait to the machine. I just save it and stitch it when I am ready. You can also edit some designs on board! I also have a brother sewing machine that I use while I am embroidering so I can do both at once. When I can afford it though I want to upgrade to the Quatro! I belong to a lot of Yahoo groups for brother embroidery as well! Let me know if you get the machine!

I have a brother machine and have no problems so far I really love it. I have done some researching and i stick to brother's and babylock. Good luck on your search.

I grew up on Singer and still have my aunt's treadle from the 1930s. Since the late 1960s or early 1970s I have had only Viking because that is the only dealer in our town. I now go 28 miles to another town because they have better classes. I have never had a problem with my machines with regular cleaning and always get right back. The other town has Singer (JoAnns and WalMart) but no classes or training. There is also Brother, Janome, Pfaff, and Bernina. I have been so pleased with the Viking, I just mortgaged my life with 4 years of reasonalbe payments (no interest) on the new Diamond (had a Designer SE to trade-in and I loved it but wanted the new features and bigger hoops). Don't think I would buy anything else - good service, good support, good training, and good classes. I am paying for this out of my Social Security. Everyone has to fit it into her budget so that may be the deciding factor for you. They should all have warranties

with all the machines coming out with new models, a trade in or up should be a good choice. I love my bernina 730, but so much influence is based on service and free lessons. I say go with the support locally. You definitely don't want to have to box up and mail a machine get service.