umm....the foot and ruler cost you under $200...a trip to the shop to repair your machine if you hit the ruler with the needle and throw off the timing...plus the cost of the needle...and perhaps the ruler....and time without your machine and the trip to urgent care for your injury if hit by the needle or a shattered piece of it....ummmm...well...I don't think the price of the ruler foot looks so bad after-all....with that being said....I do my quilting on a longarm...and I do use my thicker ruler foot when I use rulers...and yeah...you have enough to concentrate on besides making sure the foot does not ride up on the ruler even with the proper equipement....