I bought my Janome 7700 for the 11 inches of throat space only. It has turned into my main sewing machine. I think I paid $2,400.00 for it in 2015. I don't use a lot of the wonderful features of the machine, but I know they are there if I need them. I make quilts, home dec items, clothing and accessories on this machine. I also own a Singer featherweight, a Singer hand crank, two other computerized Singers, a vintage Bernina 1530 and a Brother PE770 for embroidery.

Check the features on the Sparrow 30. https://www.eversewn.com/sparrow-30/

I have a Bernina and like my Sparrow 30 better.

My Janome 8200 has everything I want and then some. I suppose the only thing I would ask of a manufacturer (and maybe this already exists in high end machines) is to design a function whereby the needle will not go down if it’s going to hit the foot and break. Some kind of metal detector, in other words. I have broken enough needles to fear the sound, the potential damage to my eyes, and damage to the machine.

I'm super cheap which is good because I'm on a tight budget anyway. I still maintain that all I need for quilting is a good strong straight stitch. For most of the last 30 years I've sewn on a vintage Remington (similar to Morse, post-war Japanese machines) and I have even quilted down a king sized quit on it (nothing fancy, just grids on a log cabin). While other people can do wonderful things with machine quilting on a vintage machine, I am not one of them! Plus I need a darning plate in order to disengage the feed dogs which I don't have, so everything I do is feed dog engaged and I just can't do the quilting I want to do.

But last year a friend of mine gave me a modern Bernina, a modern 820 it still goes for around 3k. That model didn't go over well in general and was shortly discontinued, but oh my goodness it is nice, I still don't use 99% of the features other than the straight stitch but I intend to try some things. Fact is though I gave up garment construction years ago and will most likely never make a buttonhole, but maybe I'll use some of the decorative stitches some time... still they could all go away and I would never miss them.

Friend gave it to me because she didn't click with it, bought a different Bernina after using this one for a couple of years -- she's a big Bernina fan, I think her current one is her 4th. I have failing vision and it has an automated threading feature, but even a threading assist like on a cheap Brother is a big help to me.

I've grown to really love the thread cutter. I'm no longer as covered with threads as I once was. I've done a couple of projects lately with partial seams and it was so sweet to not have to go back and clip all those partials!

I really like the knee pedal for the foot up/down. My friend never used this feature.

The foot pedal can be tapped on the bottom to leave the needle down or there is a button to press, I like to use the foot pedal. After sewing for so many decades it has taken me a bit not to reach for the big wheel on the right to do this but I'm getting used to it. Heck, 40-50 years later and sometimes I still want to reach for the carriage return when typing on the internet!

The surface is wonderfully bright, which again really helps my vision issues. It has a huge throat space and I have quilted several very different baby quilts trying the BSR (bernina stitch regulator) as well as the built in walking foot, and just plain foot. Very nice and easy to use.

I am currently watching Craig's List for a sewing table that I can fit the machine into. I do have the acrylic plate for an actual Bernina table -- my friend kept the table for her new machine but it wouldn't have packed well for a plane trip anyway :p I usually just use the freearm when I am piecing and put on the large top for quilting because I don't want to be leaning on it and such.

I dream of having a presser foot lifter lever on the front of the machine or even the end! Why do we have to reach under the arm to lift it?

How helpful is the Janome AccuFeed feature. Having never sewn on one, I am curious about them. Does it really help with your sewing? Does it do anything a walking foot doesn't do?

I love the Accufeed feature on my Janome 7700. You have to change out the foot to put a bigger foot on it and lower the other half of the mechanism from behind the presser foot. In my opinion the Accufeed foot works better than a walking foot because its so sturdy. I do all straight line quilting (I love cross hatch) and I use the Accufeed foot for all of that quilting and I also use it to attach binding. I don't have any problem with my binding and quilt slipping around when I use that foot to sew my binding on. I didn't know what this feature was when I bought the machine, but I use it a lot and I'm glad I have it.

There are a just few features that I would be unable to live without. I have a Pfaff (actually three - lol) all purchased used. My most recent is a Creative Vision which I love. Here are my four items that I want on the machine I do the bulk of my sewing on. I would not purchase a machine without these four if I were looking at a new machine on a budget.

1) I want a needle down/up and a presser foot that raises and lowers as necessary - either on a tap of the foot pedal or automatic is fine with me.

2) Dual Feed - I sew all the time with the Pfaff IDT - which is Pfaff's dual feed system. I love it, it works fantastically and I wouldn't piece without it.

3) A single hole throat plate and an interlock system that will not allow you to do a zigzag with that plate installed. Well - there is obviously a story there - I have broken enough needles over the years not engaging the brain before switching stitches and even once threw out the timing on the machine.

4) The ability to move or nudge the needle from left to right when needed (which would require a different plate from #3).

Here are the things that are really nice to have but would not be on a must have list for me.

5) Lots of Decorative stitches - great for embellishment.

6) Free Arm - a necessity for garment construction but for me, I have never been used it in piecing.

7) Top loading bobbin

8) Decent built in button hole

9) Embroidery Unit - I love to play around

10) The ability to add on a large slide on work surface like a sew steady.

Ditto what IrishGirl said about the accufeed.

I love it! My first machine was a used old heavy Janome, I don't remember the model. Very well made, did the job, but none of the features of the Janome 6600. My old Janome had the walking foot which was huge and clunky and you had to have that bar in the right spot and I never wanted to take the time to use it. About a year ago I bought a used Janome 6600 for $900, two year guarantee, with table and presser foot bar, free lessons and free cleanings for two years. I love it! The accufeed is so easy to use as it just lowers down. I love it so much I bought the accufeed 1/4 inch foot. I have two in college so I needed to be frugal in my purchasing, but I did want the needle up/down, thread cutter, etc. While I know $900 isn't cheap it was sure better than the $2,100 it retails for now and I decided it was meant to be!

Schill 93: Ditto what Irishgirl and Irishmom say about the Janome 6600 Accufeed foot. I have had my Janome 6600 since 2008 and it has been an amazing machine. In January of this year I had to replace the thread cutter mechanism as it was just worn out. It had cut a lot of threads in the past 11 years! The only part ever replaced!
Besides quilting I also make handbags, wallets,cushion covers, home dec items, etc. I have even repaired a camping tent. The accufeed food is also excellent in sewing thick fabrics like canvas, denim, and outdoor fabric. Also multiple layers like thick handles on a handbag, or zippers in cushions are a snap with the Accufeed system.