I have two Berninas and love them both. They are expensive and I did a lot of research on them prior to getting them. I have a wonderful dealer and had some one on one training on the 440 QE. They've been great about talking me through problems over the phone when possible. There are several great machines out there and one of your considerations should definitely be the local dealer. You can have the best machine ever but if the dealer isn't 'user friendly' it's not worth it. Good luck on your purchase, whatever brand works best for you.