For bang for buck I love my Brother NX450Q. It has lots of features like thread cutter, stop/start button, needle up/down. It also has a bigger throat than a lot of the machines (7.5 in). Not sure how much you're wanting to spend but mine was $799 a year ago and I've heard they are going for cheaper now. For a little more money lots of people like the Janome 6500/6600 as well. Good luck and have fun shopping!