I have three Janome's, and love them all. My advice is to go try some out at your local shop. Tell them what price range you are willing to pay. Also will the dealer service your machine. There is a lot of nice machines with a lot of good features. I like needle up needle down feature, needle threader, my eyes are not what they used to be. sometimes the dealers have a trade -in they are willing to sell at a reasonable price. My last machine was a "demo" so I got it at half price, so check all your options. Ps. Keep the singer as a back-up. Marge