About the only feature I was adamant about when I was looking was the needle up/down feature. I don't machine quilt so harp size wasn't a factor. I also do home dec and the odd piece of garment sewing. I ended up with a mid-range Viking and am a very happy camper. Have not had a lick of trouble with it. It has an auto tension feature as well witch was a bonus. I would suggest making a list of features you need vs want and then look at which machines have them. If you're looking for a basic, straight stitch only machine, a vintage singer would be my choice.