Originally Posted by Bluphrog

I have the Bernina 440, and I love it. I bought it after sewing for 30+ years on my 1971 Singer. I told my husband that I definitely got my money's worth out of the Singer, so could afford to buy the Bernina. Going from a machine that only had straight and zig-zag stitching to one with the bells & whistles of the Bernina, there were many features that I didn't even know existed, like needle up/needle down, the knee lift, and being able to move the needle from side to side. And since I also make clothing, the buttonholer and button foot are nice, too.

I don't know what the accu-feed is. Sounds like a built in walking foot. Since I only use the walking foot when I quilt and bind, I don't see the advantage of having one built in, but different strokes for different folks.

I like the Bernina knee lift. Once you get used to it, it's a great time saver, especially if you are doing something where you need to keep pivoting the fabric (like machine appliqueing around curves and points. With the knee lift, you don't have to move your hands off the fabric, which saves time.

Whichever machine you choose, have a great time with it.