I own a Brother Nouvelle 1500S, which I absolutely love. It is heavy duty, sews a great straight stitch, and has a nine inch harp. I use it for 99% of all of my piecing and quilting. Problem is I have gotten used to that large harp and when I need to do a satin stitch on my Janome DC3050 it seems like the work space is so scrunched together. I would buy another machine in a second if I could find one just like my 1500 with satin stitch capability. Does such an animal exist in the same price range (under $1,000)? I've searched on line with no success.

I think that in order to get a larger harp with a machine that has more than a straight stitch you will end up paying more than $1,000

I have ONLY stitched on my Bernina 1530 which has a 7" harp that works for me. I look at new DSM and it makes me almost faint from the high prices!!

Janome 6600 and 6500 have 9-1/2" harps; the 6600 probably costs more than your budget new but you might luck out on a 6500 for around that price. Or look for either of them used.

I have the 6600 and it's a great machine. It's high shank so probably can't use the feet from your 3050 but the bobbins, at least, will be interchangeable.

What about the Janome 6500-6600 series? You may be able to find a used one in your price range...

Check out the Janome 6300. It has the same wide harp as the 6500 and 6600, but fewer stitches. If you look around, you can often find it for $999.

Check your private message box. I purchased a floor model Janome 6600 for $1299, no sales tax. Reputable dealer, included extra feet....and full warranty.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond. I looked up all the recommended options and found they all do a pretty good job of filling my needs. I'm a little leery of buying a used machine on the internet so unless I could find a used machine locally ie the Bernina 1530 or the Janome 6500-6600 series, something I could actually touch before buying, I probably wouldn't go that route. But that MC6300 is so exactly what I want and new too. Again, thank you for your recommendations!

My daughter has a Juki that is almost like my Brother PQ1500s, but it has fancy stitches, whereas the Brother is strictly straight stitch only. Her machine was just under $1,000, if I am not mistaken.

Donna: Do you happen to know the model number?
Lady Diana gave me some great tips. She not only recommended a reputable dealer but recommended the Janome6600. The machine has everything I could want but is slightly above my budget. The Janome6500 is a little cheaper but still above my original budget, it had everything I was originally looking for. Then there is the JanomeM6300 that is under my original budget and still has everything I wanted. The Janome 6600 had a fantastic built in walking foot that works very closely with the feed dogs to prevent puckering and underneath folds, plus it has more stitches than I could use in a lifetime. What a quandary, went from not being able to find a machine to having three very good options. Any recommendations?