Bernina fan here. But one of the important things to consider is the quality of the service department. I would not buy a machine anywhere without getting input on the quality of their service. They all breakdown and/or should have yearly servicing if they are used a lot. I was a devoted Viking user for most of my sewing life. But the last new machine I bought had problems immediately. To my dismay I learned the service had gone so far downhill since my last purchase and realized they were not going to help me. Our local Bernina store has the best service department ever.