JKMC18, I have the Pfaff 1200 and really like the machine. As I mentioned before, it needs to be oiled on a very regular basis. Others have mentioned this also. It's a great machine and not much to go wrong on it. I have finally set mine up on an Inspira frame. Initially I had a few problems .... broken needle, broken thread, thread nests on the bottom, etc. ..... but I finally worked through all of that and can now mostly quilt with little problem although I am still only sewing on a length of muslin that is batted and backed for practice. Hopefully I will feel confident enough with this set up to actually quilt a quilt soon! I have a stitch regulator but have not used it yet. All that being said, I paid $1000 for the frame and machine (I have a friend who paid that same amount for the same set up) and another $150 or so for the stitch regulator. I don't know if the Next Generation frame is a more expensive model when new or not. The price you quoted seems a bit high to me but again as others often say, it depends on where you live and what's available. Good Luck with your decision!