When I was choosing a new machine, I went to the three machines I was most interested in after doing some research on all of them. I spent some time with each one and did lots of samples on my own fabrics. Then I went home and sat on my back porch and looked at all of them before deciding. I eventually bought a Bernina and am now on my second one. Don't get too hung up on "it has the be exactly right and I have use it forever". It puts too much pressure on the decision. If you decide after a few years that you want something else, that's okay. You can trade in the machine you've got a get another. If you budget is tight, most dealers have refurbished machines for sale that are considerably cheaper and just as good as a new one. Sometimes it's better to buy that way because you can get a better machine than what you could buy new. Sort of like cars or houses.