I have a Brother SQ 9000 from Wal*Mart. It costs $200. It weighs 10#. The Janome Gem weighs 12#. I got it to take to classes but we're in FL for the winter and it will have to wait until we return home. It does have a needle-down feature, sewing speeds and the opportunity to use the "start" button instead of the foot pedal. I do wish it had a larger throat area.