I have one, what do you want to know?

I am very happy with my choice. I love how it has the color screen so you can tell exactly what part of the design you're working on. I also love that if/when the thread breaks, you can go back as many or as few stitches as you like to get back on track. I tried an Esante first, which was a nice machine, but these were the main differences that made me choose the Ellageo. There were others, too, but I can't remember all the details right now.

It's been awhile since I used it, because we are in small temporary quarters while we build our house, so not much room for sewing. I can't wait to get in the house and be able to regularly use my Ellageo and my wonderful BabyLock serger again. I felt I was just getting to know them before we moved, and I may have to start a few steps back to get going strong again...mostly with the serger.

The Ellageo also sews nicely. I especially like the easy, nice buttonholes and the way it cuts thread at the end of a seam. It probably sounds silly and unnecessary, but I got used to that fast! I miss it when I use my daughter's Pfaff.

My one complaint is that it says it's running out of bobbin thread when there's quite a bit left. They fixed that on their new top-of-the-line machine, but it's something you learn to deal with on this one.

How much do you save on factory rebuilt vs new, and what's the difference in warranty and service?

I save 1700.00 on the factory rebuilt one. The warranty is 1 yr in store and 5yrs. parts. It is about 3 years old. I can get a brand new one that has USB A & B plus resume on it. That intrigued me if the power goes out it remembers where you were when the power comes back on. Is your Ellageo have a floppy? The dealer told me that the have Ellageo, Ellageo1, 2 and 3. Is yours newer? I want a user friendly model and embroider for a little money. Is the embroidering easy? Would you buy another?

I have the Ellageo 3, and it does take a floppy disk. I had a Pfaff 7570 before...A magnificent sewing machine, but not very user-friendly for embroidery (and didn't do great button holes). This one is WAY better. Every time I embroider with it, I wonder why I don't do it more often, because it really is so easy and comes out looking so nice. I think I've had mine about 3 yrs.

I can't remember the difference between the Ellageo3 and the earlier models. The dealer should explain them. Is the price the same with any of them? If so, I'd get the 3, of course.

If it were me, I'd go ahead and go for the factory rebuilt one. $1700 is a significant savings, and that would mean a lot in our budget. How does the warranty compare to new? It seems like the one you're getting on the rebuilt is the same I got on my new one. After 1 yr, I had to buy a service contract to keep it covered.

I haven't looked at any machines since to compare, but I'm happy with the choice I made. I love sewing machines, but I just won't spend the $7000+ they're asking for the top of the line machines now. I don't see why I'd ever need a different machine; can't imagine anything else I'd need it to do.

When I was researching machines, I found the patternreview.com site (linked below) helpful. You can look under specific brands to find reviews of the machine you're interested in. Also look under the Brother brand, and read any about the ULT-2003, because it's basically the same machine. People on that site are usually good at giving the pros and cons of the machines...not just gushy raves...so you can get a reasonably realistic view of their experience. I glanced through one of the reviews, and she discussed that this machine isn't the best at feeding thick and many-layer projects for regular sewing. Not horrible, but not the best either. I agree. But I'm comparing it to Pfaff machines with the built-in walking foot, and that's unbeatable.

There is also a Yahoo! group called ULT-Ellageo, for those who own either machine. You can join and read posts from the archives, or ask new questions. Sort of like here, but just of people who have machines like you're looking at.

In the far left column of the patternreview site, you can also see a link to 'embroidery machines.' I don't know if those will be different reviews of the Ellageo than shown under 'sewing machine reviews,' but you can check.

Here is a link that might be useful: sewing machine reviews on patternreview.com

My daughter & I have ULTs & love them