Decide what you are going to do with the machine, and functions that you find important. Everyone is different in that respect. After having a Juki and then getting a Pfaff, I determined that one of my "must haves" is a machine that consistently stops in needle down position. My Pfaff was sometimes up, sometimes down and it caused me endless amounts of frustration. I got the Babylock crescendo and I love the larger harp space, it always stops needle down, there's a function that will raise the presser foot when you take your foot off the pedal which is nice for pivoting and not having to remove your hands from your work. Good luck in your search and we'd love to hear what you decide!