No matter what your favorite machine is.... Don't buy anything unless you can try it out yourself. I bought a serger at Joannes that was only sold on line. I had tried to try out what they had at another out of town location and no one was available to let me try it out.
This turned out a waste of money. Back to factory and they sent back ..worked for around 1 to 2 hours.
Buy local.... They want it to work and if it is defective they can send it back and you stay out of the middle. Remember the store wants your friends to also come purchase and be happy.
Make the best choice and spend your time sewing instead of feeling bad you made a bad decision you can't undo.