Hi Deb,
The embroidery machines at our local Walmart didn't allow me to put in different embroidery designs. I would have been stuck with the few that came in the machine. That is where the sewing machine with a USB stick is very important, more versatility adding and importing new designs or designs you create if you get software for your computer.
In all the towns in a 80 mile radius of my area, there are mostly Viking dealers. So, I decided on a Viking. I really like my machine. Since then I have seen and demo-ed a Bernina. It is a really nice machine too!
I have gone through 7 Vikings machines and have loved everyone of them. No! I didn't break them all. 3 were trade-ups as I learned what features I wanted on a machine. Yea, I know, you are asking what happened to the other 4. I'm not telling.
I advise anyone who has a sewing machine and is looking for an embroidery machine to KEEP their simple sewer.
No, wait, doesn't that spell the drain pipe from your toilet? How does one spell the word for a person who sews?
I traded-in my regular sewing machine to reduce the cost of the embroidery machine, which also is a great sewing machine. But, I found that I wanted to have a embroidery station (the sewing table) and a sewing station (the dining table) at the same time.
Call me needy!
Actually the dog can't go up and downstairs to the basement sewing room to keep my feet warm any more and at 80 pounds, I can't carry him either. It got on my nerves knowing that he was upstairs alone and I couldn't enjoy my work.
I finally managed to get a very cheap simple machine again and it turned out to be the best 1/4 inch seamer I have ever worked with. Not being able to adjust the needle position every which-a-way can be a bonus sometimes.
Well anyway, I agree, get a machine with the biggest embroidery area you are comfortable paying for.
Did I say too much?