I have an old Bernina 830 (over 40 years old), then got a BabyLock Quest, then down the road picked up a used Bernina 165, then a Bernina 1230. I use all of them ALL the time. I both piece and FMQ with all of them. As for the 1/4 inch seam - When starting a new project, I sew a test seam using the fabric combination used in the project as well as the thread that will be used. I find that placement to get the true 1/4 seam can vary from project to project so I "test" every time.