I have a Janome 4000, which does have quite a few bells and whistles, and I love it. I've had it for at least 15-20 years and it keeps plugging away, even when I was making Bow Tucks bags and it sewed over the thick fabric quite well. I do know there other versions, but this is the one I had, traded my Singer in when it didn't give me the performance I wanted for quilting. My previous machine was a Kenmore, and truth be told, I actually burned up the motor, quite scarey, that's when I got a Singer, but not overly happy with it, as my Kenmore loved to sew over thick fabrics, the Singer not so much. Go to a dealer and have them give you a chance to try them out, most likely they may have older machines that were turned in, and just as good.