the 6600 has a lot of nice features and is a proven work-horse. The Elna 7300 which is now called the 720 is the SAME machine w/ a few added features. You may find it it is less $$ than the 6600 or it may be the reverse but its nice to shop around for pricing. If budget allows, maybe you could consider the Juki 400 which is much like the 600 and I believe there is another model below that one that has most of the same features. This would give you a nice compliment to the 6600 with free-arm.