Recommendations for an excellent Sewing Machine?

[MuddlingThrough1724]

Has anyone got a decent sewing machine that they rate and would recommend?

Mine is way past its best so eyeing up a new one on the amazon days/as a Christmas present but at a complete loss....current one is a 15 year old Brother that was about £100 in Dunelm, with no thought about features as it was given to me!

Ideally I'd like self threading and thread cutting, auto tension, a case, and long warranty. Mainly looking for household repairs/crafts/clothes, and the option to monogram/embroider letters would be fabulous.

Budget less of an issue (within reason), given how often I will replace, happy to spend more for quality/features/to future proof slightly! I'd say around the £1500 mark is as much as I should spend, but I'm a sucker for a cool feature so open to suggestion.

Thanks in advance!

In your budget, @MuddlingThrough1724 look at the Pfaff ambition range and the Janome Atelier range. The Bernette 77 has a lot of fans. Brother has machines in that price bracket that are worth a look, if you like the brand. I'm not a fan of the default left hand needle drop.

My own main machine is a Janome MC6700P. It's a lot of machine for the price. No hard cover, though.

Thank you!!

Since you have a brother I would stick to that make as then if you have extra accessories they will fit it too. I have an innovis 1800 . I think it’s brilliant. It does everything you have listed .

Could you stretch to or get a deal on a Bernina 475? Are you looking for computerised embroidery, that limits it to embroidery machines.
Having said that dual feed is a very useful feature I think it's only in the Bernina 500 series and above.
As for cases a lot of the big machines don't have a hard case as it would be massive, and they aren't really portable. I actually chose my machine (Bernina 300 series) as it packs away neatly with a soft cover.

Husqvarbs are also a great brand, our local sewing shop is a main dealer and I'm always seeing people arriving for their training courses with big machines in trolley cases.

My Brother does letters it is computerised as a lot are today but isn’t an embroidery machine . So they do exist

Yep, there is a difference between embroidery machines, which embroider in a hoop and standard sewing machines with decorative stitches within their normal stitch width. The latter often include alphabets withing their range of decorative stitches so can be used for monogramming. There are, of course, machines that do both, using an add on embroidery module.

Using the Pfaff ambition range as an example, the 635 is a normal sewing machine with decorative stitches including alphabets and the 640 is a combined sewing and embroidery machine.

https://sewcentre.co.uk/products/pfaff-ambition-635-machine

sewcentre.co.uk/products/pfaff-ambition-640-machine

My Janome 7025 doesn't fit your wish list, but I will sing its praises anyway. Reliable, easy, useful.
My daughter has just inherited my grandmother's Singer 99, she's just as delighted with it as I am with mine.
Sewing machines give joy.

I know, @PickAChew explained the difference better. Full-on automated hooped embroidery I meant, not the little letters and patterns.

Where are you based?

Best thing is to go to a sewing machine shop and have a play.

I'm a brother fan and also have the NV1800. I love it!