I don't have either of these machines (yet!) but for about 6 months now have been reading all I can find on the different brands - Pfaff, Janome, Husqvarna, Bernina, because I'm trying to decide whether to invest in one of these bigger machines for quilting. I've also joined forums and discussion groups. My impression is that on the whole, Janome owners are the happiest with their machines. Yes, there are some horror stories, and there are undoubtedly "lemons" out there that just don't do what they should - and I know about that,, because I have another Janome model that's given me endless trouble. However, having started my search for a new machine saying "anything but a Janome", I'm now thinking that I may well go for the 6500, 6600 or Horizon, as long as I can find a helpful dealer and can spend a good long time test-driving a machine thoroughly.