I'm also sewing machine shopping. I took a tour of all the local dealers last week and got quite an education. I was really surprised to learn how few manufacturers there really are and that they are all made in China, Thailand and Japan now. You'd think that shipping labour overseas would lower the price instead of raising it but it hasn't. Anyway, when I started I thought I wanted a Babylock Aria until I found out they are made by Brother and that I can get the exact same machine with a Brother paint job for hundreds less. I tried out Berninas, Janomes, Husqvarnas, Babylocks and Brothers and the one I decided to save up for is the Brother Dreamweaver for quilting (VQ3000). It really impressed me in every way. I liked the Babylocks just as much but couldn't see any reason to pay hundreds more just for the name.