First of all, you get what you pay for. If you buy an electronic for under $400, it will most likely have poor quality parts that break easily. I have all Vikings that I paid well over $3000 for. I love them all. I also have antique Singers that I rarely use. But they are there if I want them. I have a treadle for power failures. I love everything about the electronics, have them cleaned yearly, and never plan to change to any other brand. They have embroidery capabilities, which the Diamond is set up for all the time. I use the Topaz 30 for my quilt constructing, love the larger harp on it and the Diamond. I keep the walking foot on the SE. The nice thing is that they all take the same feet, and can go from one layer of fabric to a very thick seam without ever bogging down. I love the needle threader, thread cutter, etc. Viking has a new machine out that has those features too, not the large throat though. But it is $800. So I suggest you save a little more money and get a machine that may cost more, but will be longer lasting. I was told that any machine under $400 is considered a "thow-away", WalMart machines being an example.