one thing i noticed is that the harp space (i'm not sure if this is the right term - the space where you put your hand through to the back to the lever that moves the presser foor up and down) is very small. you certainly couldn't quilt anything very large on this machine. i would also want a warranty so that you can test it out and make sure that everything is ok. some people consider a machine that is priced at around $200 as a throw-away, which means that if it breaks down after a certain amount of time, it is not worth fixing and can be thrown away. what kind of machine do you own now? are you looking to replace it with this?