patricej

i am a janome fan, through and through.

however, when i went shopping for a take-along machine that had all my "must have" features i couldn't find one that fit into my budget right now. (yes ... i could save up but i wanted something now. instant gratification ... what can i say? LOL)

i decided to roll the dice on a Brother SQ9185 that i found at WalMart for $199 (before sales tax.) they have a very good return policy so i felt safe bringing it home for a test drive.
having become a bit of a machine snoot (not proud of that, but i "own" it ... LOL) i expected it to feel like a serious downgrade.

much to my surprise, i am very pleased and will definitely keep it.
i can't use my janome feet on it, but it came with every foot i'll ever need.
it does take the same bobbins i use in all my janomes. (yes. you heard that correctly. i have more than one. it's a sickness. LOL)

i did a little bit of test-stippling on a small sandwich yesterday, just for giggles.
all it took was one top tension adjustment, and it looked pretty darned good on both front and back.

the only feature it doesn't have that i miss is the push-button top/bottom thread cutter.
if you think you'd go nuts without that, consider the Brother PC420PRW. if you shop around you can find it online for about $350 (before shipping and taxes.) oddly, this model does not come with an extension table. you'd have to buy one separately.

so, if a janome that has all the features you can't live without is outside your budget - and since you are already familiar and comfortable with brother - those are two models to keep in mind as you weigh your options.