I bought a featherweight because I think they're cute. I brought it home, tried it out and haven't sewn on it since. With needle up/down, being able to move the needle side to side, fancey stitches, we've come a long way. I like all the bells and whistles. I think it's fun to have a featherweight but I surely wouldn't want to sew on it all the time. I have a Janome 6500 that I love and a Janome Platinum for classes. The Platinum and the featherweight weigh about the same, about 12 lbs.