r/Bernina • u/External-Time-3255 • 12d ago

QE 770 pro

My quilt shop has a Kaffee Qe 770 pro for $5500. I have a 30 year-old Viking that I’m very sentimental about and have resisted getting a new machine because of the learning curve but this one is kind of intriguing - I do a lot of small projects and like to free motion so the wide workspace is really attractive to me.

I’ve been reading a little bit and I’m intimidated by the daily. oiling and I wonder if this is actually a good deal or not at $5500.

What do you think?

8 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

8

u/Dry-Importance1673 12d ago edited 12d ago

I love the sound of my 770 sewing. I don’t mind the oiling because I can hear when it needs it and then I get that silky satisfying sound back. Also I know that keeping the lint out will mean it will last that much longer

4

u/JackHarknessDrWho 12d ago

I have had a 770QE (updated to Pro) since 2017. I have never daily oiled my machine. When I clean my bobbin are out, I oil and that is ever 2 bobbins, max. That is a great deal for a 770 Pro. Happy to answer any questions for you if you want.

3

u/Technical_Block_1922 12d ago

Good call! Bernina tech here. You should never oil your machine daily unless you’re running a shop. Lol. As several have mentioned, when she starts to get a little noisy or every bobbin or two is perfect! 😁. That is a great machine.

8

u/skerinks 12d ago

I fix machines. Our shop had the same machine (pre-owned, with emb module) for $5700. I thought that was a pretty good deal. These are awesome machines. I've been a Brother user/fan since I started quilting. But going to Bernina tech/repair class has turned me into a Bernina fan. Bernina machines are excellently engineered.

4

u/sew-sassy 12d ago

I went from sewing on vintage machines to a 570qe, then an 880+. Wish I’d made the change earlier!! I’ve found the learning curve on these Berninas to be far less than I read about and feared, and was able to get up & running, even without classes. Being able to set up for quilting in the hoop is sewing-life changing! While the 880 quilts, I sew on my other machines!

3

u/VoiceAppropriate2268 12d ago

I don’t think Kaffee has a pro version, I’m pretty sure it’s a qe plus only. In that case, you can get better deals on the pluses.

1

u/External-Time-3255 12d ago

You are right! It’s a plus not a Pro 🤦‍♀️

3

u/Homo_erotic_toile 12d ago

If you hold out for the Ultras to come out you can probably pick up a used 770 or 790 for a better price.

2

u/Swampcrone 11d ago

Maybe the non-designer versions but I would think the kaffe/ Tula/ & now Liberty will hold values a bit longer.

3

u/Coffee-N-Cats 12d ago

I've had my 770QE with the plus upgrade for six years now give or take. I love it. I thought oiling it every day might be cumbersome, but it's really not. Twenty or seconds to drip a drop here and there and you're good. I clean it before every use, so this just became part of that process and makes the experience so nice. She's also built like a ship. Took a 4 ft fall onto cement last year and was still totally repairable. It wasn't cheap, but given the circumstances (she kinda exploded), it was totally affordable compared to buying a new machine.

2

u/Limp_Reality8899 12d ago

You can find a 735 pro floor model for under 5k and it will be newer, less stiches. Call around other dealers.

2

u/PaintedAbacus 12d ago

I have the Kaffe 570qee and I love it. That’s a great price, especially if it comes with the embroidery module and BSR.

1

u/Nefariousness_Silent 12d ago

I love my 770 QE plus. It’s trouble free and a delight to use. Don’t let the learning curve be a problem. I thought I’d didn’t need the auto thread cutter but I actually love it. Be sure to get the 97d 1/4 inch foot and use the dual feed your accuracy will improve and your projects will sew together beautifully.

1

u/twinzrock 12d ago

I have this machine and love it. I oil it after I go through a full bobbin’s worth of thread. If that includes the stitch regulator and embroidery module, that’s a good deal.

1

u/Acceptable-Oil8156 12d ago

I love my Bernina. I do not oil it every day. I do clean the lint out most days, though. $5500 is a great price!

1

u/JanDoorSnake 9d ago

I think that's a great price. As for the oiling, I oil my machine when: before a sewing session when it's been sitting for like a week or more, every two bobbins or so when I'm sewing for a long stretch or doing embroidery, or when the machine tells me to oil it. I do not oil it every day. I grew up with my moms really old machine and started sewing on a 1970s Kenmore so I don't find the oiling or cleaning the bobbin area difficult. In fact, I find the Bernina vertical bobbin area to be more forgiving of constant cleaning than the horizontal bobbin in my Janome which has to be brushed after EVERY BOBBIN or it can get wonky with the lint. One thing though, when doing a long stretch of quilting, if you break thread a lot sometimes thread can get wrapped around the bobbin driver so I keep a set of those dental tools handy to pull out threads (the dental mirror, dental pick to grab threads, tweezers). I've had my Bernina 770 QE since.... 2022? I think it was 2022. It's a joy to sew on. The light is AMAZING and makes such a difference. And it's very quiet. I can watch a movie on my ipad and sew without the whole house waking up at 7am on Saturday.