In a different thread someone did a comparison between the Janome and the Pfaff, and if I had to do it again, I would definitely check out the Janome. (I'm a Pfaff girl) One of the best comments was that the Janome does not pull the pieces down into the feed dogs (a real bugger with the Pfaff). I know some people who LOVE their Janomes.
check out this thread too - it fits right in with your questions
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-35599-1.htm