I have decided after looking at the box to return it when I go back to Walmart. I didn't open it. I too have an older Pfaff model 2221 (I think), a neat little black Singer 99, an old treadle machine I think it is a New Home, it has a nice old oak cabinet that closes up in the front, it was a Christmas gift from our son one year, a Janome with some built in stitches, 3 Kenmores, pretty new, and some odds and ends of machines I have picked up at rummages over the years. I paid $15 for my Pfaff and $5.00 for the Singer 99. I really need to get my sewing room straightened up. Too many illnesses and things going on in the family. Sue

I bought the Baby Lock Espire back in March, and I felt a bit daunted too, at first, but it has become the love of my life (sewing-machine-wise, of course, if DH reads this!). If the Esante is as user friendly as the Espire, you will soon lose your fear of it. The touchpad controls are so intuitive that I rarely refer to the manual anymore. As RoseJoe says, be sure to clean out the lint, especially around the bobbin case. The machine will probably let you know you need to, if you don't. Putting that another way, if you should have trouble with the tension and particularly with snarling of the lower thread in strange places, cleaning can do wonders. Enjoy your great new toy!

I've sewn on both a White portable that died last year from the 40's and my grandmother's rotary in mahogany cabinet with no reverse on it that got sold when she had a house sale I didn't know about. I think your machine either needs a good tune up or a new bobbin case (case is relatively inexpensive). You could also have a bit of thread in the case track..try running non-waxed dental floss through it and through the threading path pulling downward from the spool pin. My other thought is are you using a different brand thread than you normally use, and I hope you are not using glazed hand quilting thread in the machine. You should look at other brands and try the machines out like you are doing now. Janome and Kenmore made by Janome are decent machines...I have a Kenmore 19365 I love to sew with. I went from a flatbed to a portable with the same adjustment you face without much of a problem and older like you with wind in place bobbin that took me a while to learn. With any new machine, read the manual from page 1 to find out what's going on. Some manufacturers have manuals you can download to read beforehand to get a better idea of what the machine will do. The nice thing with new machines is the free arm you have available for doing cuffs and small areas with storage in the bed that is on the machine. The new meachines also have an automatic needle threader that's wonderful for "mature eyes" and a plexiglass table surround to give you more area should you need it. I also used the top of the old Kenmore cabinet to sew on until the Kenmore and blonde cabinet went in the dumpster, then it was on the dining room table. You can still keep your well-loved cabinet to sew on and use underneath for storage like I did.

Mary, I don't know about the CS8150, but I have a Brother PC8500 and I love it! I've had it about 2-1/2 years and it's never given me any trouble. Donna