Regardless of the naysayers (some of which have never sewn on this or other Brother machines - apologies to those of you who have and don't like them) these are very popular machines. Look at the ratings on Amazon and do a search on it here on quilting board. I have three basic mechanical Brother machines. They are easy to use, sew through almost anything and are not fussy with thread. I do my best FMQ on an XR-52 that came from Costco about 15 years ago. Never needed service.