I have the Brother PQ 1500 and it has auto cutter, needle up or down, knee pressure foot lifter and needle threader. Is metal, easy to take the housing off and clean/oil. Super easy to troubleshoot. Free motion quilting is easy to do. It has only straight stitch. It's made to last. If your older Brother has the decorative stitches then the Brother 1500 is a great choice. Juki straight stitch is excellent too. They look identical.