I have had my Brother PQ1500 for several years, and I love it. It sews fast, has a perfect stitch, needle down, has a 9"throat, and overall is just a great machine. I oil and clean it often, and it never let's me down. I have other machines, but this is the one I use every day for piecing, quilting, and garment construction. I agree that the only dislike is that it doesn't have the bar on the walking foot. It is a straight stitch only machine, but that is what I mostly use.