I actually bought a Bernina 440 QE strictly because of the stitch regulator! I have a Bernina 1031 that I just love, but no matter how I tried (and what classes I took), I just couldn't get the hang of FMQ. Looking back, the BSR was training wheels for me. It gave me confidence, and that is what I needed. I now have a Sweet 16 sitdown quilting machine without any stitch regulator, and I do just fine. However I know that the confidence I got with the BSR was key. Yes, it is perfectly possible to learn FMQ by practice, but it was much easier for me to do it with the BSR.
Pam