If you need occasional help with your machine, getting one with a reliable local dealer is a must. I, also, am a Janome fan and find that they are just workhorses!! They are reliable and very user friendly. They also come with lot of feet included and so you don't have to buy them after purchase of the machine. My suggestion is to go to Janome.com and check out the Horizon 7700 which I have and see if it will meet your needs for regular sewing. If you get a machine with a combo sewing and embriodery, if one part needs repair, you lose the whole machine. I also have the 9700 embroidery machine that sews and embroiders and thus if one is out for repair I still have the other for regular sewing. A back up machine is really nice. Have fun and try lots of machine before you invest, they all have some unique feature that sets them apart - you must decide which features are important to you. Also, if a friend has a machine you are considering, go over and try it out. Do a test run and see what you think. This is a lot of money to spend so do it wisely!!! Good luck!!!