If your wife joins the board she will always have help when she needs it. I have the Brother 1500. I had trouble with the thread coming unthreaded when using the auto cutter. I learned not to thread the three hole bar at the top of the machine. I use the far right hole of it as a thread guide and no more unthreading. And do not leave a spool of thread on the second spool pin when not using it. It will get caught up in the wheel and be wound up before you know is happening. I know that for a fact. Every problem I've had I found most of the answers on the yahoo group. The dealer here isn't any help at all.