So sorry to hear of your loss.
Call Threads of Time in Danville Illinois and see if they have one you could try out. Joliet is only a few hours away. They are a certified Janome dealership and very knowledgable. Great store, great people. If you ask them if any of their customers have had any complaints about this machine they'll give you an honest answer. A group of quilters (including a handful of board members) are going to be retreating there this week so if you can make it down be sure you ask for a tour of the retreat center and say hi to all of us. Most of us will get there today. I'm not sure I can post their phone number on here but if you want it you can pm me or google it.