The best bet is a big quilt show. Go around and try a few. I think knowing what you are looking for such as needle up and down, cutter in the foot, large throat is important to happiness. You can always ask the saleperson at a show what makes their machine different? You may be surprised at the answers. I chose the Juki 2010, because I wanted a basic workhorse with no special stitches. I have smaller machines for those if I care to do them.