I have several machines, Janome 6500 (has been my main machine for several years, 830 Bernina Record (old version 1976), 1947 Singer 201, Husqvarna Prelude 350 (DD has "borrowed it}, Husqvarna #1+ (just purchased for $200 to replace the 350, a newish cheap Brother and a Singer 457 given to me to use with the 4-H girls, and some Featherweights. I paid by far the most for the Janome 6500 and the Singer 201, Bernina and Husqvarnas all sew better than it does so I don't think paying large amounts of cash guarantees a great machine.It all comes down to what you expect a machine to do. If you are just straight stitching blocks and doing Stitch in the Ditch, you really don't need the most expensive Bernina. I have yet to find the perfect machine. Some are much better at certain tasks than others. My old Singer 201 will powerhouse through several layers of denim while my Janome 6500 would growl, rattle and break needles if I tried. There are features that I really like on machines but the trick is to find the features you need at a price you can afford. I don't want to have thousands tied up in a mchine.