I have had a Janome 350e for 4 yrs & just love it. It is very user friendly and does a great job. It is an emb only machine because I didn't want to have to choose between sewing or embroidering. I sew on my Viking while embroidering on my Janome. Whatever brand you get, I highly recommend you get one that handles both the 4x4 & the 5x7 hoops at a minimum.