I purchase a new machine a little over a year ago. Since I live in the middle of nowhere going to a dealer was not an option. I just researched alot of them online. Asked for opinions from members of the board and my quild members. Your choice of a Brother is a good one even if the dealer is being unresonable. My old machine was a Brother and the new one also ended up being a Brother CS6000i and I absolutely love them. I have had the chance to use other machines like Pfaff and Janome and they dont seem any better than my trusty Blue (thats my machine name). Just go with your gut and stick to your guns. Dont let them dealers try to upsell you. Have fun with the search.