I bought mine from a Janome dealer and I get 2 years free yearly services and then I think I pay $35. If not under warranty think he charges about $80. I know for sure I am super happy with the Janome's I've purchased. Definitely search for best deal and biggest hoop capability and usb capability for designs. A lot of times you can put the cost on a GE Money Credit card with up to a year to pay and no interest. Keep that in mind. Tension isn't a problem I've ever had with any of my machines. Last year I upgraded to a Janome 11000MC and absolutely love it! Good luck and my other advice would be to make sure it can be serviced locally. Can get expensive if you have to send it for servicing and cleaning.