What is the appeal of the automatic cutter?
I've only had a cutter since getting my Horizon a couple of years ago. I didn't think I needed it, but now I use it all the time when piecing. It saves a ton of thread, not to mention the extra motions of picking up scissors and clipping thread ends. On my machine, there's enough of the top thread left that I can hold onto it for the first couple of stitches. (There's no need to hold the bobbin thread--it's the top thread end that can cause nests.)
Have used knee lifts for 20 years and would hate to be without one, especially when doing applique.
Daffy