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I have been looking for an embroidery machine. I have located a good used Bernette Deco 600. I am new to embroidery, but have sewn for a long time. Any pointers? I want one to start out on...doing simple monograms and lettering.

It is a great machine and those that have them are very devoted. However, it is an older machine and the technology isn't the newest...but the machine is great. It is made by Brother and marketed under the Bernina brand. It uses PES, not ART or EXP.

The price I have found on the used one is $350. Does that sound good? I don't know......It comes with 4 cards, manual, hoop and cover.

Hi jaclark.......I have a Deco 600 - it's a great little embroidery machine. Although I do also have a Janome 350E. I use both machines. I started out with a Deco 500 which is now packed away due to lack of space only. Why do I have 2 similar machines? Well the 500 was pre-loved and well used. It blew a fuse and it looked like it was a permanent death so DH bought me the 600 then finally the technicians were able to fix the 500.

The price of $350 (US$'s ??) sounds reasonable to me. How does it look?...does it look as if it has been cared for?? Has it been serviced at least once a year and has it been serviced recently? Never-the-less, they are a great 'starting out' machine but as you get hooked on machine embroidery you will soon out grow it.

I have a Deco 600 and absolutely love it. although the design area is limited to 4 X 4, I've not had an issue with that, since most of my work has been on shirts and other items that don't require a big design.

I got mine used several years ago for more than the $350 you've quoted, but mine came with 4 diffferent sized hoops and the original Deco digitizing software (the Bernina branded version of PE Design version 2) and the transfer box.

My recommendations:

1) Find a Bernina dealer and have your machine tuned up and cleaned if it hasn't been serviced in awhile.
2) Get some extra bobbins and bobbin thread (usually white), an assortment pack of stabilizers and some muslin to practice on.
3) Pick up a few different colors of thread. Start with a few basic colors to start with, add colors as you need them. My Deco likes Isacord thread best, but have had good luck with Madiera, Sulky and Mettler threads.
4) Find someone locally that embroiders to show you proper hooping technique. Most beginners get frustrated with machine embroidery, and most issues early on are either hooping or threading issues.
5) Be patient. Learn the noise your machine makes. You'll learn what proper stitching sounds like and you'll soon learn to listen for a change in sound that tells you it's time to change needles.

good luck, you'll love your deco; although it may start out as a love-hate relationship. the Deco 500 / 600/ 650 are little workhorses.

to download designs from the internet and use on your machine, you'll need a transfer box, like OESD's Magic Box (that i have, in addition to the original Deco box) The Ultimate box or there are others.

I originally bought the Disney 400D new. This was the 4x4.
I very soon relized that the embroidery bug had bitten me and updated to the ULT2001D. IFFFF you are like me, you will wish that you had bought one that will do a 5x7 to begin with. It wont cost that much more. You can a new machine to do a 4x4 for about 499. to 599. The embroidery design cards you buy on Ebay for a pretty good price.
All of this is just my opinion. I know whatever you get, the enjoyment will be priceless, no matter what you pay.
Good luck and let us know what you do

I have a lot of friends with embroidery machines as well as owning one myself. I bought a cheap one( Janome 5000) to see if I liked embroidery, & what I particularly liked doing. Then I made a list of everything I wanted in an embroidery machine & its software & found one to match. My biggest wish was a machine that connected easily to the computer & had the largest variety of designs available to it. I bought the Pfaff 2120. Quite a few of my friends also have this or later model Pfaffs & are very happy. Others have Janomes, Husqavanas & Berninas. All the Bernina owners are disappointed that very few free designs are offered in ART, & those that have to use cards in their machines find that getting the design from the computer to the card then to the machine a bit time consuming.
Having said all this, my advice would be to look at the machine dealers in your area. I have found that after sales service is a lot more important than the type of machine you ultimately chose.

My mother loaned me her deco 600 several years ago and I learned how to emboidery on it. I have no complaints about the performance of the machine except that compared to newer models it is louder and not quite as smooth running. I still use it but prefer my Brother se350. Of course I have a newer fancier model on the wish list!

I have the bernina 600 and love it. I recently bought a new janome so i can do 5x7 designs but I am actually struggling with it since I liked the Bernina so much. The designs are only 4x4 but are nice for shirts, hats, blankets, burp pads, etc. I use both of them all the time. I am thinking of giving my bernina to my grandaughter who is a freshman. She learned all the storing and getting the designs from the computer to the card to the machine so fast it amazed me. I hope you will enjoy whatever machine you buy. boonitoon

Don't equate the size of the embroidery field with the quality of the machine either. The embroidery quality and the quality of the machine is extremely good compared to many other machines that do the 4X4 design field. It also was a pretty expensive machine when it was "new".

The Deco 600 is an absolute workhorse capable of perfect stitching. I have used mine hard, and it has needed only one adjustment in 14 years (and that was my fault!). A basic cleaning should be all it takes. This machine will embroider on lightweight knits and heavy denims equally well (using the appropriate stabilizer and needle of course). I used mine to make hundreds of small free standing lace items and it just keeps runinng and running and running. It does use an older technology for design transfer (a Magic Card that needs a special reader/writer box) but the mechanical components are top notch. Make sure you have a XP or Vista 32 computer available since the Magic Box doesn't work on Vista 64 bit machines. The PES format is very widely available so you won't have any problem getting designs.

I have the Deco 600, a Bernina 330 (equivalent to a Janome 300e) and a 12 needle Happy Voyager. I would sell the 330 in an instant (I really don't use it) but I would never sell the Deco 600 - it's just too good of a machine. I still use it for FSL.

Pam

Although I am writing this 2 years late!!! - I am finding it extremely informative. I bought a Deco 600 (second hand) about 2 years ago. I have it running hours at a time. I just love it. I would love a bigger machine but funds will not allow. I have obviously got myself a little gem. I would not part with it for the world.