I've seen a lot of Name brands at that price range. As with buying a sewing/emb machine. I'd go to a dealer and try them out. Find out the good and bad points and see what all they offer. They are great to have, you can serge around your fabric before washing and you won't have all those threads in you dryer or a big mess. You can piece with them and you never run out of bobbin thread. Nancy Z has a book on quilting and serging, it has some really cool stuff in it. That is my next big investment; as soon as I get my Diamond Deluxe paid off, or close to it.