There are some machines available with 4"X4" sewing fields. Other than that, I don't know much else they will do. Mine is on the high end of Brother's line. I wanted to do big stuff, rotate, size designs, do curved write outs, edit & etc.

I really had not anticipated the full expense of the supplies it would take to start up. There is thread of course, lots of it. There is a separate bobbin thread. There are a multitude of stabilizers...using several different ones per project. Special scissors to clip the jump threads, extra bobbins & etc, plus designs to use other than what comes with the machine. You can download lots free off the internet but depending upon your machine, there are other expenses in getting them from the internet to something to sew in your machine. I only had to have WinZip & a stash of floppy disks because my machine excepts floppies.

Some of the features on the higher priced machines will wash out expences on the cheaper ones. Check these avenues out before you decide. I did & waited till I could get what I wanted & till I could retire. It takes a lot of time to really get into it & with limited time, your machine can become outdated before you really use it. More & better features show up all time. I was able to have mine updated to a ULT2003 from a ULT2002. If they do another one in this series, I assume I will be able to update again rather than having to buy a new machine to get the new features.

I have had mine almost 2 yrs. My daughter is just now starting to do things herself. I can do whatever she needs but she has a good little side business going & if something happened to me, she would have to shut down as far as things with embroidery designs. It is quicker to prompt her as she does things than for her to have to read everything & teach herself like I had to do.

We both are still fascinated with what the machine will do & sit amazed as it stitches things out. It is not as complicated as it seems once you overcome the initial fears. I have a niece with a 5yr old & she knows how to do lots with the machine as far as pulling up designs, enlarging for a better view, closing & getting another one. She wants to change floppies but we won't let her. She says she does at school. I am sure she could but I am not ready for her to venture that far. I am her favorite babysitter though & she never gets bored here.

I bought a stand alone Brother PE 150 for under $300. I have a computerized sewing machine already and didn't want the fuss and bother of converting a machine for embroidery. Yes the field is small but with some ingenuity you easily get passed that. The Brother is so easy to use that I was actually embroidering mongrams within 30 minutes. Check out reviews of it on eopinons.com --
After I caught the embroidery bug I added some software to digitize and add lettering to designs and I am having a complete ball with my little podunk machine.

Hi I also just bought a brother 180 for about $320.00 from ebay. I love it.I am still learning the tricks to using it.
I also just bought a couple of cards to expand the designs.
It may not have the bells and whistle's the others have but its very usable.Every time I use it I learn something new.

Did you have any luck?

I am considering buying a Singer XL 6000 next month. I have never embroidered before. However, I have done considerable sewing over the years. I am a retired Civil engineer looking for a new hobby. Any advice any one can give me would be greatly appreciated. What am I getting in to ????

The first machine that I purchased was also the Brother ULT2002. I have not had any problems with it and it is user friendly. I purchased a refirbished machine at a substantial discount with the same warranty as a new one. Currently I am in the process of starting a small embroidery business out of my house and I am looking at purchasing the Brother PR-600. Does any one have an knowledge of this machine?

I bought a Brother PE150 on ebay for under $300. If you only want to do Monogramming you don't want to spend a lot of money on a top of the line machine. The brother machine works great.

Let's face it, it is all in the software not the machine. I bought mine to do lettering and monogramming. you will need to invest in the software and hardware to get the designs to your machine. Don't buy a machine with only a 4x4 sewing field, you will regret it! there are so many things that you will eventually want to do bigger than that. i would go to at least a 5x7.
I have a brother pc 6500. they do not make them anymore, so find a store or online that is selling them cheap. they will try to get rid of them to make room for the new line. they are great machine. realize that you will need to invest in the software! this will be key with monogramming. don't waste your money one design cards! If you want more info let me know. it sounds like you were looking for the same thing as me, i love my machine, i love doing it, but until my friend introduced me to the software my machine meant and did nothing! good luck and email me if you want more inforamtion and details. i would also buy a machine with the pes format.
good luck

I started (and stayed with) the Brother PE 150. You can do MUCH more than monogramming. I do lovely napkins, shirts, baby things, embellished bags. Lots of stuff. And it does a beautiful job. It's simple to operate. I like that.