I'm shocked that Hancock's won't let you try the Janome before buying. I have a Janome 6500 and love it. I don't know much about the other models, but know most of my friends that have various Janomes like them. However, my Bernina friends also love their Berninas. I think you should try to find places that allow you to test drive. Then test drive several different models and decide after that based on your preference and what you need.