seems to me it depends on what you are doing with your machine. if you are just creating the quilt top any machine with a good straight stitch and an up/down needle position would probably do just fine. if you are actually going to quilt with the machine the higher end machines are worth the money. if you are going to longarm or have someone else do that for you I wouldn't spend the money for bells & whistles you won't use.

I have a Viking sapphire 850. middle of the pack in price and love it but I do actually quilt with mine so it's worth the extra money for the larger throat & all the other fun things. good luck with your choice.

I have a Bernina that would probably be $3000 or more brand new but I bought it off eBay for $1400 and yes, it's worth every penny. I especially like the needle down position, the needle thread, the quiet hum of the machine, the knee presser that lifts the needle when quilting, the wonderful tension, the choices of stitches, the many feet I can use. If I ever buy another machine it will have the thread clipping. I think the machines on the market today are fabulous. I have had my Bernina 7 years now and have never taken it to a shop for repairs. I clean it constantly and it purrs like a kitten, works just fabulous.

One thing I look for is whether the machine can deal with thin fabrics as well as thick (or multiple layer) fabrics. When my singer died after 20 years at the end of 2011, I went looking. I had stopped sewing, but wanted one for those rare occasions I might need it. I only cared about a good straight stitch, not the decorative or extra features.

I ended up deciding on a Janome 3160 ($550). I decided to go ahead and work on a quilt to make certain if any there were any issues I could deal with them right away. The quilt was queen size (almost 4000 pieces) and it was a joy. I fell in love with this machine and sewing all over again. At the same time I became aware of machine quilting and all of the information available on the Internet. I decided I wanted a machine with a large throat.

Four months (and a bonus from work) later I also owned a Janome 7700 ($2100). I kept my 3160 because I knew I could manage it for classes. I have since quilted two queen size and a lap quilt. I have not regretted either purchase.

But much like the cars we own, I'll keep these until it cost more to fix than buy new (or I trickle down to my kids LOL).

I believe you get what you pay for, I have just paid out about $2000 for my new Elna machine and for ease of use and less frustration it does everything I want and more, the so called little extras, such as a good working needle threader, thread cutter, knee lifter etc. etc. is worth it's weight in gold IMO it take so much frustration and stress out of the quilting so that you can enjoy your hobby.

I can say that I have not regretted buying a Baby Lock for about $2,200 which is high for me. She is a workhorse and I love everything about her. She has all of the features I need (and then some) and we get along just famously.

I love my Bernina.

Yes, My machine has been worth it!!!