Even if the throat spaces measure the same on different machines in length, the height makes a huge difference. Both my Janome 6500 and my Juki TL98Q are supposed to have a 9" throat space. However the Juki is much higher and the overall space is more rectangular making it much easier to guide a King sized quilt through. The Janome space widens out on a slant and the machine is much thicker near the needle which definitely cuts down on your available space for quilting. It's not easy comparing exact throat space on machines.