I now have four machines in my collection: My 1972 Bernina 830 Record that I still use daily. (It's a workhorse). I have a BabyLock that I like for free motion. Now for the important info: I bought a used Bernina 1230 that is awesome for piecing. Also have a Bernina 165 Sewing/Embroidery machine that I use mainly for embroidering names. For your $700 you can get an awesome used Bernina. I would not even consider buying a new machine. There is good value for your bucks in getting a quality used machine. I've bought my used machines on ebay and am totally satisfied with both of them. Good luck.