I have a Babylock Evolve (about 10 years old now) with the air jet threading and self-adjusting tension. My first serger had neither of these and, believe me, if you will use your serger a lot it is certainly worth the $$. Unlike my first one, thread never breaks and tension is never a problem. I used to use mine to sew children's clothes when my girls were little, have made slip covers and curtains with it, use it for hemming (have a vertically challenged DD) particularly when the garment is knit or a slippery fabric. Guess you can tell I love my serger. I have made a couple of charity quilts on the serger - just simple 6.5" squares. Went very fast but it makes the seams rather bulky. I wouldn't want to use it for anything but a "dragger quilt" for a child where utility was more important than precision.