Sewing Machine Research!

So for the past while, much of my free time has been dedicated to sewing machine research.  It's a Christmas gift from my folks.  I've been researching since about November.  Yes, it's true.

I've made a ton of progress ~ at last!!  At times I've gotten quite frustrated because I discovered different geographic regions have different machines and or codes. Like in Europe, I might find something between 2 North American models.  Blah!!!

I've finalized my decision to a Brother machine.  And hence, I'll destroy the hereditary Singer line through both my Mom's side and Malcolm's!  

With my research, I've gotten really tempted to get a serger too!!  But I'll wait and see if I really need it. :)
So the reviews for the Singers were too inconsistent.  It seems like a crap shoot: love it or get a lemon.  And according to the reviews, customer service is less than ideal.  I also read that the manuals are crap, however, I looked at one and it seemed okay.  However, not nearly as comprehensive as Brothers' guide.  You could learn to sew from their guide!!  Brother reviews are consistently good.  And customer support seems so as well.

Anyway, my top two choices (check it out!) for the Brother machine are:
Second choice: Innov-is 80  
First choice: PC420PRW

My preferred is PC420PRW.  Unfortunately, the next hurdle.... the code and or the design may be different in Europe!  I found what I think is the equivalent to my second choice, but darn... I want my first choice and I can't seem to find it!!  

The sewing packages are soooo complete!  Especially when comparing to the Singer, Brother comes with a lot of stuff!  When comparing prices, they were similar, but again, Singer didn't have all the accessories and I'd end up having to buy quite a lot more things (i.e. a cover for the machine!!!??? DUH!)...  Does anyone have any personal experiences with newer Singer or Brother machines???

The next annoyance is that the prices in the US and Canada seem really good compared with the EU.  I'm not sure why!  Is there less demand in North America?  I suspect so.  Something must affect the prices because it's significant!  My second choice machine is less than $400USD and is over 500euros.  Hummm... Anyway, I'll see what the results are (I've sent more queries to Brother Germany). Hopefully I'll find my first choice (equivalent) here.  We'll see.  The other difference between N.America and Europe is the length of the warranty (25 years in N.A. and 3 in EU).  I've inquired about this as well.  Seems strange.  But I did find out from Brother Canada that the warranty is only valid in the country of purchase... Mental note!

Anyway, I'm so eager!! I can't wait!! If I end up with my second choice machine, that's just fine, it's a great machine. I'll just order a couple of extra feet that have me interested.... :D 

Very very excited!!  

Oh and an aside: I've been researching fabrics and compared with the website I found for kids bed linens, I can actually make a set for the same price as buying it (plus labour of course...) which is a bit discouraging.  So I've been on the hunt for some specials on fabric prices and have found some good ones.  I haven't ordered yet as I'm waiting for the machine to be finalized - I don't want the cart before the horse!!  Boy oh boy!  What am I getting my self into!?!