It helps to decide on your budget first. Whether big or small, budget eliminates a ton of possibilities. Quilters here use everything from vintage $20 estate sale machines to current top-of-the-line machines in the $6,000+ range.
Also, decide on the features that are most important to you. Needle-down is one of those features I need in a new machine, and is very helpful with quilting. This eliminates vintage machines for me. If you will be quilting on the domestic machine, you will probably want to at least consider the newer machines that have bigger harps (throat area under the arm). The Janome 6600 has been out for several years and has this feature; however, it does not have a freearm, which tends to be important for garment sewing.
Do you have any dealerships near you where you can go in and try out different machines? Buying a new sewing machine is like buying a new car; different people are comfortable with different brands and types.
If/when budget comes into it, dealerships often have very nice used machines that may have the features you are looking for.
Last edited by Prism99; 06-24-2014 at 11:09 AM.