well one thing i know is stay far away from singer's. they are not made the way your mothers singer was. this is a throw away society. and as much as you think $500 is alot of money for a machine, if you don't have a reputable dealer to turn to, your goose is cooked. stay with janome, brother, viking, elna. think you'll be much happier. dont forget the more attachments you have the more likely something will go wrong. so as ive stated before make sure you get a warranty for repair at a local repair shop.