I am a Babylock person - all my machines are Babylock. I have a dealer close so it is easy to take a machine in for service. Take your own fabric samples to sew on to test out the machines and the decorative stitches that come on that machine. Mark each sample with the name of the machine and make some notes about the machines that you liked. I like the drop in bobbin feature and thread cutting feature on my machine. Also ask about specials, such as models that have been demo machines in the store or at a recent event. Sometimes you can get a better deal on a machine and the money you have to spend will go farther.