I have the Brother 1300, slightly slower than the 1500 but otherwise the same. I used it for a couple years as my primary machine with a cheap Brother for decorative stitches. It worked, but I am so happy to have my Juki F600 now that does everything in one machine. Personally I would go with the 900 in your situation. Or since you have to order it without trying it first, you might as well shop around online.