I have two Brother ULT's a 2001 & 2003 and I use them for embroidery only but I have used one for regular sewing. I started out with the Brother 150 and wanted to do biger then the 5x7 hoop so I had a chance to purchase these machines. I really like them. I go in spells of doing embroidery. I love to do freestanding lace and RedWork.
Go to a dealer and you could probably get a good used one because people are always wanting to step up to the newer model. They will give you lessons also and that does help.