If there is a sewing expo near you, I would suggest you might like test driving a variety of machines at one place. I did that several years ago and wound up getting a Janome 6500. Usually there are 6 or 7 dealers at the expo near us, all with a variety of machines and have discounts if you decide to buy there. I didn't research the dealers prior to going which might have been a negative, but have had no problems with my machine. I maintain all my machines (incl. 8 Singers) so don't really worry about the dealer unless there is a lemon issue.