It totally depends on how much you will use ot for sure, the thing is the easier it is to use the more you will use it, there is not sense getting a machine that frustrates you just to look at it, it will sit there gathering dust. When I get a chance, I was requested to do a tut on the quilt I just did on the serger, there are several patterns that you can do on it that are more designed for the serger.