I ran into the same issue this past November. I am a newbie to quilting and to sewing. I did not have a lot of money and wanted to buy the best I could afford. I ended up with the Emerald 118 and am very happy. It has been a work horse. Since being in between jobs, I have been sewing just about every day and have made various sizes of quilts up to a Queen. I have had no problems with the Emerald. It is a joy to sew.
I tried other machines each having a different feel and sound when sewing. For me, I found the Emerald 118 quieter and had a sturdier feeling. I will tell you, I was drooling over the Viking Ruby with the quilting attachment. Do I embroider - no- but ....I will learn. In the mean time, I will keep by Emerald and when time is right just by the Ruby.