I haven't read everyone's comments, so if I repeated anything I'm sorry. In my opinion, I would buy the machine with the most bang for the buck. Will your dealer be helpful after the sale. Hang out by the store and talked to people as they are leaving. Next, you will not use 90% of those stitches. Some of the features I love about my Janome 7700 are the throat size, adjustable speed, knee lift for the pressed foot, and built in walking foot.