Also, take your age into consideration. If you are in your 70's you won't want (at least I didn't) want to spend lots of $$$$ and only be able to use it for a few years. I thought I would pass it on to my daughter who loves quilts but after her terrible illness she has sort of lost heart concering the quilting. She loves to hand piece and and the end joints of her fingers are turning sideways. She can't hold a needle any more so she says if she can't do it by hand she won't do it. I say that if machine is the only way you can make the quilts you love, it is much better than nothing. I have tried to tell her that it takes a lot of skill to really master machine quilting. But she is hard headed. I had planned for her to have my machine setup but with her attitude I don't know what will happen to it when I am gone. But for now, it is big enough for what I want to do for myself. But if you are young, then buy the biggest, best, most bells and whistles that you can afford. It will last you for a very long time. I was able to pay cash for my set up so that is a big plus. Of course it is a good thing I have a considerable stash cause I really don't have the spare $$$ for fabric. If I started right this minute I would still have enough left for the next generation and beyond. The first thing I ever sewed all by myself was a maternity top from a piece of fabric that my mom had forever. I remember seeing it in her quilt box when I was a little tad. It was pink floweredy with an almost purple back ground. U-G-L-y!!! linda