Well, I own a Bernina and a Pfaff and love them both for different reasons. The two you quoted are the high end machines made by those manufacturers and are way too pricey for me. I own the Pfaff Expression 2038 and it is what I prefer to use for piecing and general sewing. I absolutely LOVE the built in walking foot! For FMQ I use a Bernia QE 440 and the reason for that is the BSR (built in stitch regulator).