I think I need to test drive the Janome 7700 Horizon at the Houston quilt show. It looks tempting.

A lot depends also on your budget. How much $$ you have available to spend. You can almost never go wrong with a Bernina, or many of the older machines. Most parts are available for them and a far cheaper than working on the newer machines. I have an older Bernina 830 from the 80's I bought on ebay from a one owner. She was losing her vision and couldn't sew anymore. Best buy I ever made. I've never had to take it in for service. It will sew through anything.

Best thing is not to be in a big hurry and test drive a few to see what you like best. You'll know what is right for you when you find it.

I also bought an Elna Su model 68, again from ebay. It appeared to be in pristine condition. When I got it, it would only sew a straight stitch. Took it in for service and $35.00 later it is like a new one. The original owner never used it and it just sort of froze up inside. Now it works perfectly.

Good luck to you with your decision. Everyone needs a backup.

I agree with what has been said above. Decide how much you have to spend and what features you want. An older Bernina is a good buy and can be used as a trade in if you ever want to upgrade. The feather weights are awesome, real work horses. I would go to some dealers and see what they have available. When you go to a dealer you can take some quilt sandwiches and thread and spend a good amount of time trying them out doing what you would do at home. If you get a machine online that you have never test driven you can't be sure if you like it. In that case look online after you have tried a similar model. Also they have some good buy s on refurbished machines on Overstocked.com, but there again, you can't test drive them. Good luck, don't forget to post pics of whatever you decide to get.