Lots of us in my quilt guild have Janomes of all different price options and styles. What makes it so appealing to us is that we have a wonderful dealer who isn't pushy and is very helpful. A good dealer you can trust is worth so much, in my opinion and experience. Ask people you trust ahead of time. There is a dealer that is about three minutes away from me and noone I know is happy with him/her. I don't know how he/she stays in business. It really does make a difference.