I'm a Viking gal, have 5. I started out with the Designer I in 2000, and now am up to the Designer Diamond. I also have an SE and a Topaz 30. The Topaz and the Diamond have the larger throatspace, which is wonderful. I love all the automatic stuff, the auto footlift, and the needle threader. I have arthritis in my hands, so all that stuff is very important to me. I know nothing about any of the other machines, but once a Viking owner, always a Viking owner. It has a wonderful needle up/down feature, which is great for pivoting at corners when applying binding, etc. The other brands may have that too, don't know. My dealer is just the best, and service on them is minimal.