I have a Bernina 180 and a Janome 8900. I love them both. The Bernina is an embroidery machine as well. It is heavy, has great sturdy feel and many, many stitches. It does beautiful work. It was expensive, feet are expensive, has a small harp space. The Janome 8900 is much newer. It has 11" harp space, lots of free feet included, is heavy and does a beautiful stitch. It is wonderful for free motion quilting! I actually love them both, and think you can't go wrong with either choice. I would go try them both out. Try piecing and quilting on them. Talk to the dealer and get a feel for how they do business. Then I would choose the one that feels right, and has the best dealer. A good reliable dealer is very important in your choice.