Everyone is going to have their favorite brand - you really just have to sew on some machines to see what you like. Personally, I am feature driven - must have needle down, knee lift. Next in line is threader, and thread cutter. If you are going for a new machine, then lighting can make a big difference. I have a recent model big fancy Babylock, a small Brother combo & Juki straight stitich, plus an old Bernina. They are all good machines and do what they are supposed to do. I will say that they are all dealer purchased, so not the low end discount store models. I won't dis those, because many people have bought and loved their Walmart/Costco Brothers.