I have owned three Janome's. My very first one is a 6500 that I won on a quilt run several years ago. We have a beach house where I like to sew and I purchased a Jem for there. It didn't have the blanket stitch, so I replaced it with the next model up that had that one stitch. I love them - just basic maintenance is all I have ever done and I use them a lot. My husband has commented from time to time that when I walk in the door at the beach house, I set up and that machine runs almost the entire time I am there (he's exagerating), but it just goes and goes and never gets tired. I would recommend them any day.