I guess it just depends on how serious you are about sewing? If you buy a machine that costs you an arm and a leg and find out later that you don't love sewing as much as you thought, you'd be in a pickle! But if you plan on this becoming a serious hobby, then you want something that can withstand the abuse of a lot of sewing. I have no experience with Baby Lock or Viking, but I can tell you I spent about $180 on my first machine, and it pooped out within 6 months. Replaced it with a Janome Memory Craft 6300, and I haven't lost steam yet.