traded up from Janome 6600 because I wanted a bigger throat to a Horizon. But love Janomes

I think it depends on what you want to use it for. I used to have a Janome 4900QC which I loved... until I sewed on a Juki 2000/10 and I fell in love and haven't looked back. I kept my Juki of course as a back up machine or for when I needed to do something other than a straight stitch.. but my Juki is awesome for me. She pieces quickly and beautifully. I'm not sure where you live but I know Ken's here in Alabama ships throughout the country. See if you can drive one first and then compare prices. It's a lot cheaper than your limit which of course you can use for supplies.... http://www.kenssewingcenter.com/juki...e-p-28479.html

I also agree for you to try as many different machines as you can. If you have a large quilt show coming to your area, that is a great way to be able to compare machines almost back to back. That's what I did when I bought my Tin Lizzie. I was able to try a bunch of machines all on the same day so I could jump from one dealer booth to the next and get a great hands on comparison...

don't forget that refurbished machines can be just a good at half the cost...make sure to get it from someone you trust - like a dealer who can provide servicing on it. I've done really well by purchasing this way, and also purchasing floor models at the time when new models are coming out.