i teach a quilting class at work to three co-workers. Two of them bought low-end, basic, Brother sewing machines at Target. They've worked just fine for the last couple of months but, at our last session, we got to the point where a walking foot was needed. I won't go into details but we had lots of trouble getting a w.foot to work on the Brothers. Never did get it. Question now was, what to do? Target employees aren't going to be helpful. What to do?
This is the type of quandary you can face if you don't buy from a dealer. I agree with everyone else that the used machines from an LQS or dealer are the best buys, if just to have access to someone who can answer questions! Good luck!