I personally have very little experience with different sewing machines, however, I asked a repairman with years of experience which machine would he get if he were a quilter, and he immediately replied Juki. (This was after DH bought me the Viking that I have now.) But then again, he's looking at them from the mechanical point of view, not the user's.

I would suggest you try as many machines locally as you can. Service is important so if there's a sewing machine servicing center or rep in your area, that could be a deciding factor.
Even if you don't do any free motion quilting now, you might want to try that at some point, so getting a machine that is capable of dropping the feed dogs could be important. Needle up/down is important to me, but that's a personal preference like your manual stop/start button.

Everyone will have a different opinion. This has been discussed before, and your should search and read some of the old posts on this topic. Search for "sewing machine" on this forum and you will get a number of hits.

For what it's worth, I have a Juki that I love. I also have a Brother and a Singer (45+ years old).

Here are a few of the discussions:
If you could buy a new sewing machine for quilting

Need sewing machine advice please

What brand sewing machine

Why all those sewing machines

I first feel that service is upper most importance as there are several good machines on the market. My personal choice would be Janome 6600P but did recommend Juki to my DGD when she was looking for a new machine for her growing business with baby diapers.
I am lost without push button s/s.
On thing I would investigate if you choose Janome is a new evenfeed foot that they have that was Pat. by Phaff. Sound like it will replace a walking foot that is wonderful for quilting but much less bothersome.

starthome - I have to say that I own 3 Pfaff sewing machines-one that is 40+ years old, so I am a bit biased.I make my quilts on a Pfaff Quilt Expressions 2048.
I looked at the Pfaff Ambition online and watched a few YouTubes - this machine has some very nice features. I also like the start & stop button (and the speed slide!) so you do not have to use the foot pedal. The different needle positions are going to allow you to sew with precision. The extra lights are good (mine has very poor lighting) and the 8+inches in the throat area - a big plus for making quilts. The front of the machine is sleek and clean so you do not accidentally hit a button and change your setting. The IDT -aka walking foot is the same design as on my 40 year old machine ---it is wonderful --it works and is not bulky.
If you have a local dealer -- who is an authorized Pfaff dealer and repair shop, and you like them....I would put Pfaff at the top of the list for my money. Make sure you get free classes to teach you how to use the machine.
A good, experienced dealer for any machine you purchase is very important.

Thank you for the suggestions. It was also helpful to look back on previous posts listed by lola99. I joined pattern review as one of these posts recommended at found several detailed reviews of the machines I am interested in.
I am a little confused on how to look for previous discussions on a topic because I entered sewing machines and it listed lots of posts, most of which had nothing to do with sewing.

Be sure you restrict the search to this forum. That will cut down on unrelated results. Your search should look something like this:
(Ignore the lines of blue numbers - they were just part of the page)

Kate

Thanks, I that was very helpful, especially the picture.

Go for the JUKI HZL-F300 Sewing and Quilting Machine.

I recently purchased the 300 by JukI and I love the machine. General sewing, monograming, and quilting once you find and buy the additional presser feet is easy and comfortable. You can be as complex as you need to be, or keep it simple. Caution, if you move your machine around a lot, this one is pretty heavy.

Here is a link that might be useful: JUKI HZL-F300

This forum is where I started in my search for a new machine. Now I'm hooked on this great group.

I have an older Pfaff that I bought specifically for the dual feed. I still love it, but wanted something with a wider harp...the area between the needle and the arm at the right. For free motion quilting I bought a straight stitch Babylock Jane.

The newest features that make sewing easier for me are push button needle down and reverse. My new straight stitch machine also has an automatic thread cutting that I LOVE.

Mostly you need to try any machine you consider with the fabric you plan to sew on. I have a single hole plate for piecing that I bought years ago. It really helps in starting on a corner when sewing triangles. How the machine feeds makes a difference to me since I hate pinning except to make joints meet. If the machine feed prevents traveling it's great, thus my dual feed Pfaff.

I can't stress enough how important trying machines was to my recent purchase. Some felt stiff, some I hated the size of the foot, etc.

Enjoy the search and especially, have fun with your new machine.

I did not try a multitude of machines as I'm more of an impulse buyer sometimes, foolish I know, so don't do what I did. My first upgraded machine in 2009 was a Bernina 200 series and I had issues w/ the tension. I got so !@#$, I stopped sewing for a while, and then in March of this year reluctantly traded in and up to a Bernina Aurora 440 Quilters Edition. This particular one came with the BSR (Balance Stitch Regulator). Love it!!!!

Since getting my Bernina, I've been sewing like a mad woman and enjoying every minutes. I still feel like a novice, but the BSR has allowed me to play with FMQ with much more confidence. I also love the speed control, which allows me to run like a ninja or move at a snail pace. The up /down needle function can be set to auto, which I really like. I do not like the threader, but that could be me. I also have solid service in the vicinity. I've not really needed the service w/ this new Bernina, except one time and that was operator error! So I do think convenient service is important.

Another friend of mine just purchased an Elna and she loves her machine, sorry don't know the model.

Good luck on your decision and have Fun!

V.

I don't think you can go wrong with Juiki or Janome... both solid workhorses.

Another feature you really want to consider is an automatic thread trimmer (a button with a scissors icon)... many of the machines that have the stop/start button have this too, but not all. I personally never use the stop start button because I'm a control freak, but I couldn't live without thread cutter.... If a whole huge quilt is under the machine and you need to cut the thread for any reason, it is so nice to not have to remove the whole thing!

Which Brother model are you consider, btw? Just curious... I have the PC-420, so if it's that one, I have about 4 years of personal experience with it and can answer many questions... However, as happy as I've been with it, I'm currently looking at Viking and Bernina for something with emobroidery functionality and snob appeal :o)

Hope you find the perfect machine...shopping is half the fun! And when you get it home, you can easily blow several days just playing with the features and stitching out the decorative stitches just for fun!

There are some great quilting machines for beginners, and what you buy does depend on what you are specifically looking for in a machine.

For beginners, there are some relatively low cost machines that will work well, while more advanced quilt sewing fans may require something that can handle heavy duty use and fabrics.

That being said, if you're a beginner and are looking for something that won't break the bank, I'd recommend the Brother XR 3774.

For more beginner options, check my full review here:

http://www.sewsofine.com/articles/tips-and-guides/review-of-the-best-sewing-machines-for-quilting

I also have a Janome 6600, and I must say, I absolutely love it. It a lot pricier, but if you can afford it, it's a worthwhile investment.

- Leanna

In 2016, I asked for a fancy sewing machine for a holiday and my husband took me shopping (awww, isn’t he sweet?). I figured that because I used my sewing machine so much, I should invest in an expensive machine. I purchased a fancy Husqvarna Opal 690Q. I took the classes that came with it. It had lots of fancy stitches and all the bells and whistles.

I hated it.

If only someone had explained to me how to choose a sewing machine that met my needs– not theirs.

Buying the most expensive sewing machine with new-fangled features is not necessarily the best move you can make. Before buying a machine, always ask yourself what you’re going to use it for, whether or not you need all the extra features or if they are something you can live without, given the kind of tasks you intend to do with your machine. Also consider what future use you may have for the sewing machine. For instance, if you aren’t doing embroidery stitches now but you are planning to do so in the near future, then getting in a machine that can handle embroidery might be a good idea.

The best advice I can give is to look on Amazon (I know I know...local dealers are great too but the choice between machines is not the same). On Amazon you can kind read the reviews, and even test the machine during an entire month. Look atthe ones I've selected for you on Amazon

I choose Juki F600. This model with a display and a large set of lines for quilting will cope with both the most complex models of clothing, and with large blankets or panels in patchwork technique. Functionality and reliability fully justify the price of the machine.

The increased working area and additional table allow you to sew large products with comfort.

Juki HZL-F600 performs 477 operations. The kit includes a variety of presser feet, which simplify the performance of many operations.