A good question to ask is 1/are the parts metal or plastic? 2/ are the replacement parts all seperate or do I have to purchase a unit to replace something? (Bernina vs Baby Lock gave me that answer..the Baby Lock, you have to replace the entire unit) The Bernina is metal parts, and you only replace the one thing, if a repair is needed. I LOVE my Bernina....have had it 2 years, have put MANY MANY MANY miles on it, and it has been wonderful. Proior to it, I had a SINGER and had a lot of problems with that. So, for what its worth, I really do love my Bernina..I have the Artista 630, and it does a lot of things ever so easily..ask about classes for the new machine, you wanta be sure and go to the classes to learn how to do all the things on your new machine. Ask about warranty, and ask where the repairs are done (in the shop, do they have an on-site repairman?_