I have a Janome 8077 for classes. It is a great machine and is a lot like my 6500, except no thread cutter. I bought a Gem but prefer the 8077 because it is computerized. I got the 8077 at Hancock's Fabric for about $250. They have another model that has pretty much the same features as the 8077, sorry can't remember the model number but it is the same price.