I have had several different types of machines...as of now I have a Brother PC-420, and a Brother PQ-1500...and I love them both! They both have several of the "high end" options such as a knee-lifter and a thread cutter, and I just could not see paying more money for a "brand" name...when my machines have exactly what I wanted! I also have run into what I would call "machine snobbery"...I just take it with a grain of salt, at my lqs meetings, my machine works just as good if not better than a lot of the other more expensive machines. Not only that, but this way I have money left over to buy more fabrics!!...
I also must say that at the lqs I attend most of the ladies I am in group with would never make someone feel "less than" about anything, let alone the price/brand of their machine.
Take care all,
Kif