I own an older Bernina and a new Janome. I love them both, but I have to say I think I "trust" the Bernina more. It's been going strong for years and has never let me down. Just haven't developed the trust in the Janome yet, but I've had it almost a year and haven't had one problem. I think they are both good machines. The price on the Bernina you talk about sounds like a great deal..