I have a Brother Nouvelle 1500s straight stitcher which has a 9" throat. It is the best machine I have for quilting. I believe Juki made a series of them for different manufacturers, so you should be able to find it for a test drive. I have seen where Board members have bought one for $500-$750. I can't advise, as I got mine when it had a pricd reduction to $2000 over here. They have since reduced to $1700...