I haven't researched machines in the last 5 years or so, but the Juki TL98Q has a 7" throat. At the time I bought it, there were a few similar machines (by different manufacturers) and the 7" throat was the largest in the moderately priced machines. I have the Juki (and others here have ones by different manufacturers) and use it just for quilting. It does not have any of the other bells/whistles, but runs a straight stitch with a fast gas pedal! Because it's now an older machine, you may be able to pick one up used/refurbished for a good price.

You may find more machines these days with a 9" throat, but I'm not sure what the price range would be.

There are some good online companies that you could use to compare features/prices. I have bought the last 6 machines of mine from Kens Sewing Center in AL.

Thank you. I did read about Juki late last night. I also read about the Janome HD1000 that supposedly has a 6 3/4 throat space. And the Brother PC420PRW was reported to have a 7.5" space. I don't know if that one was correct though because the pictures I saw didn't make it seem that large. Both of the machines I mentioned were both under $400.

Thank you BeeOHIO. I will pass this on to my mom. It's very informative and helpful. She has no other complaints about the machine she has now so maybe if she can do her quilting in this manner she won't need another machine. Thanks again!

Oh dear, you had to mention the Brother PC 420... don't get me started, please :o)

I just measured mine and it IS 7.5 inches from the needle to the right inside part of the harp area... and 4.5 inches tall.

Below is a picture of my Brother side by side with my Bernina so that you can see the size difference of the harps (I call it the arm pit LOL)... can you see how much more open the Brother is? The Brother PC 420 is the one on the right...

Anyway, I've had this machine since 2009... I got it as a 26th birthday present to myself and I've loved it since day one... And I paid 500 dollars on Amazon for mine, the price has gone down 100 dollars.

It's one of the few machines in the price range that gives you knee lifter, automatic thread slicer, and adjustable presser foot pressure. It comes with a walking foot, zipper foot, button attaching foot, one step button hole foot, teflon foot, patchwork foot, zig zag foot, open toe foot, free motion foot... it has drop feed and a perfect needle threader that works with one finger, the first time, every time. The bobbin thread doesn't have to be drawn up to start sewing, it has stop start, needle up down, sliding speed control that can also be set to be the stitch width control... It never gets a bird's nest or has messed up tension at all... truly a remarkable machine for the money!

The only things I had to buy for it were a quilting guide bar for the walking foot (but it came with the walking foot), and a quarter inch foot with a guide, and extra bobbins.

I tried to quilt something just the other day on my Bernina and I had to revert back to the Brother because it had a bigger harp, so that is definitely something to consider... not only the width, but also the height makes such a difference... the height of the Bernina is a full half inch smaller than the Brother and it may not sound like much, but in practice, it makes a pretty big difference.

There's even attention to detail on this machine... there's a ridge on the top of the hand wheel so you can always tell when the needle is in the highest position just by looking at or feeling that ridge. There's also a clear coating on all the buttons on the right side so the graphic doesn't wear off over time.

I lent it to someone at a retreat a few weeks ago and 3 people commented on how smooth and quiet it ran.. they couldn't believe Brother made such a lovely machine and these were people who had Vikings and Janomes!

OK, I think I'm done with my plug... I just wanted to extol the virtues of this wonderful and underrated machine since I've had and loved mine for so many years. You can get all the same features in other brands, but you'll pay a lot more for them, and there's nothing wrong with this machine! The only thing I don't like is that the needle defaults to the left position, so if you're using a quarter inch foot with a single hole, the needle must be centered first... I've broken more than I care to admit by forgetting that step.

Good luck with whatever you decide (let us know!)... If you have any specific questions about the PC 420, let me know.

vacuumfreak. WOW!!!! That was some review. And very informative. All the reviews on Amazon put together didn't tell me as much. It helps to get a review from someone that has been using a machine for awhile. Most of the reviews on there are from people that recently purchased one. So this helps greatly in my decision. I want to narrow it down to a few so she's not trying a ton of them. My mom will get fed up with that fast. I'm glad to hear the 7.5" measurement I had read on a review somewhere was correct. Thank you again for all the info. I analyze things to death before purchasing something so your long, detailed review is just what I look for in my search. Thank you so much. I will let you know.

Wow. What a great review. Wish I'd heard it before I bought my last machine.
LindaB/CA

I'm glad it was helpful, Pat... It seems that the height of the harp area on your mom's existing machine is taller than the one on the Brother... By the way, just a piece of trivia... Kenmore sewing machines are no longer being made. Janome used to make them, but now Sears doesn't offer any "house branded" machines... they sell only Brother and Singer and that's it. It's a shame really because I used to sell them there about 10 years ago and they were work horses!

By the way, you can buy an extension table for this machine, it's 57 bucks on Amazon if you think it's necessary. I never did because I knew I'd upgrade to the Bernina one day (and I still prefer many things about the Brother)... when I got the Bernina, I'd originally planned to try to sell the Brother, but I just couldn't bring myself to part with such an amazing machine (plus if the Bernina is embroidering, I can be sewing on the Brother)...

Is your mom electronic savvy? The controls on the PC 420 are very similar to cell phone controls with an OK and clear button and arrow keys, so if she can operate a cell phone, she should be fine. They are simple and intuitive, but I'm sure there would be a learning curve for someone who is just used to knobs and dials!

Anyway, here's a link to the video I made a short while after I got the machine so you can see me pointing out some of the things that I mentioned above if you want (this one is only 7 minutes, but I do also have a ridiculously long 40 minute one uploaded as well... I was more enthusiastic in this one because I hadn't had it for as long yet and this video has helped quite a few people decide on this machine... I get weekly e-mails from people thanking me for helping them decide and asking questions about this machine from that video!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Brother PC 420 Video

After literally years of looking, I recently bought the Janome 2212 to replace my ancient Kenmore. I wanted a plain, very basic, very sturdy machine... and that was harder to find than one would expect. I don't need all the pretty computer stuff (and yes, I know what most brands offer and how to use them) and I wanted a wider throat. My choices came down to a small Elna (which I have owned in the past and liked) and a wee Janome 2212, at a considerably smaller price tag -- as DH said, it cost only a bit more than the last professional sewing machine cleaning! After 3 months, I am impressed with the ease of use, and the throat which I think is officially 7" but feels like more (and there's more space from the plate up to harp than many machines). It's similar to the old Kenmore so there's no special effort to learning how to use it. The warranty is very good. My only complaint is that the hemming stitch (often used for applique-ing) is 3 short zigzags to each wide zig instead of 3 straight to a zig. If I did more applique, I would consider those zigzags a major negative, but the rare applique I do, is easily done by hand. If you want a nice machine to tide her over until y'all figure what she wants in a computerized machine, this is a good one.

BTW, if you do choose a computerized machine, but sure to check on *where* the service is located... I was saved from a $4000 (semi-impulse) purchase when I learned that the manufacturer-approved service shop was a 40+ minute drive from home... and later found out that particular brand was a bit prone to computer problems.

Vacuumfreak. Thanks for posting the video. Though she is not electronic savvy, I think if she were very interested in something she would learn. I agree about the Kenmores, she loves the one she has but her only complaint was the throat space. On another forum someone explained how to get around that and to not roll up your fabric, as my mom does. Apparently if you know how to maneuver the material around and work a quilt from the outside in, the throat space shouldn't matter. She is going to give that a whirl first and if she can make it work then all will be ok. If she can't make it work then at least I have a list of machines and informative reviews.
To meldy_nva...If my mom has to resort to another machine but determines computerized is not going to work for her, this Janome 2212...is it good for quilting? I mean she's not doing heavy duty huge quilts, probably none bigger than a twin. And I am guessing that accessories are separate, such as walking foot, quilting foot?
Thanks to you both.

Pat~ The little Janome is very similar to the Kenmore (as noted, J sired K), and so far it's been able to do every thing asked of it. I've only had it for 3 months, but it has: done mending including re-sewing a bound buttonhole in a heavy wool jacket, replacing a heavy-duty zipper in a parka, attaching elastic to pj bottoms, and yes, quilting. I finished a lap-size using stitch-in-the-ditch, and binding it... the back was heavy fleece and while it was no-pill, it sure made a lot of fuzz-dust. The J was easy to dust out with each bobbin change.

I'm in the midst of piecing a quilt with lots of 1" and 1 1/2" blocks; the J has been sweet to use. The 2212 doesn't have needle-up/down or needle-lock features but the back-up tab is nicely located and the machine *very* responsive. I lock (back-stitch one stitch) the beginning and end of each row, approx. 1500 segments so far, which is enough to appreciate the location and ease of pressing that back-up tab.

Eventually, I will be ditch-stitching another king-size but I'm not expecting any difficulty. For the basic sewing of a quilt, I think the J is good. Linked is where I purchased mine; it has good info on features and is a manufacturer-approved dealer so the warranty is in effect.

Here is a link that might be useful: Janome dealer