Janome just came out with two new machines that are reasonably priced. One is 399 and the other is 799. The 799 has some super great feed dogs, thread cutter, etc.

I went through quite a few $200-$400 machines before I took the plunge and got my Bernina 430, which I LOVE. Three "cheapies" for sure- 2 from Sears and one from Walmart. The warranties were for CRAP! I expected that from Walmart, but not Sears.

You will get much better service going local than you will from any of the box stores. The Sears ones that I bought only had 6 month warranties, and guess how long one lasted? Yup, 6 months. They would have covered the parts, but the labor was more than a new one would have been. The other Sears one lasted a few years before literally wearing out. I did make a lot of quilts on it, to be fair, but that one was the pricier- I think $400-ish- one. They were both Janome brand, but possibly the Sears ones are not made to the same quality as ones a dealer would get? I don't know. I just am sort of soured on Janomes now.

I would suggest going used if money is an issue as you can get a lot nicer machine. If you go through a sewing machine dealer you can often even get a warranty on a used one. My mom has a Viking/Husqvarna that she loves and I have a Bernina that I love. So I know that in our family, those two brands have stood us really well. My Grandma's Viking is from the 1960s and still goes strong. Are there any dealers anywhere near you that sell either of those?

Aren't Brother & Janome made by the same people? I've heard that & my Dealer sells them both so I wondered. I have heard great things about both however certain models of the Brother are better than other models. Good Luck in your search.

I love my Janome. Try it out at the shop first.

No, but the Elna and Kenmore are outsourced by the same manufacturer as Janome, so all of these 3 tend to have almost identical models and features.

I have had real good luck with Brothers. They are cheap enough that you can replace them every couple of years. I sew a lot of hours so it doesn't pay me to buy an expensive one and I don't have a good machine shop in my rural area. If you want to buy one for free motion I wouldn't buy a Singer. My son bought me a commercial one a few months ago and I fight it continually.

Buy local and go with a Janome. My son has has two and DGD has two and all work great.