I have the Brother 1500s with a 9" throat and a Janome 8900 with a 11" throat. I really don't notice much difference between the two. I ended up buying a 15" Bailey Home Quilter on a frame, and even though moving to quilting on a frame is a steep learning curve, the 15" throat really does make a huge difference. So, for what it's worth, if you can afford a 14 - 15" machine on a table, I think you'll like it. That being said, you'll have to pry both the Brother and Janome out of my dead cold hands.