Twenty six years ago, when I purchased my first machine, it came down to a Phaff or a Bernina. I sewed on both and really liked some of the features of the Phaff, but in the end, it was the customer service and the knee lift feaure of the Bernina that sold it for me. I am a "Bernina Babe" to the end. There is a reason they continue to get top dollar for their machines. Spend some time on both, visit with each dealer. Regardless of what machine you buy, that dealer will be your new best friend in the next few months as you get to know your machine, so you need to be able to feel comfortable with him. Both are very good machines, so take dollars saved or spent out of the equation, and compare features and customer service, and make your decision from that.