Curious which machine do you have that you have problems FMQ with? So many seem good at the start and then you read all of these nightmares. I have a Bernina 630 (I know its out of your price range) but it does fmq. endlessly without one problem. It has the oscalating hook. I think the 7700 is over 2000. I looked at that the other day. Seems like a good machine. Very heavy with large harp. I did not FMQ because I didnt like the way the feet go on and off, and I dont like the fact you have to unscrew the main plate. IF the machine is at all sensitive to thread and lint you have to clean all of that pretty often. I liked the Melody (babylock) The new Viking Sapphire 830 and the Bernina 530, 430 whch all are around the same priceing between 1800 and 2400. Also if less I used the Pfaff Ambition 1.5 for FMQ in a class, and found it to be really good, easy, quiet, it has thread cutters but no hands free mechanisim. But it is a larger then reg.
harp. THe price is at my dealers is 1300. The 1.0 is around 800
Just some ideas.