It's a great machine for fast or heavy straight stitch work. Reality is it's exactly the Janome HD9 that's been around for quite a while, but with a "Bernette" style paint job. I think it looks a bit smarter than the Janome version if that's important. Bernina had a gap in their machine range that this Bernette fills. Janome makes most of the other Bernette machines for Bernina, and that is no bad thing. They are a high quality manufacturer (excluding the cheap low end junk that most manufactuerers make just to be in that part of the market). Their upper end machines have engineering quality on a par with Bernina as does this one. (I've serviced both brands so know what't inside). As a plus this Bernette version includes the extension table that you don't get included with the Janome version, and there are also some very minor differences between the accessories you get with this and the Janome but nothing much significant.. The only sensible purchasing decision between this and the Janome HD9 is a combination of price/deal/package/dealer relationship really. A huge plus is that as this uses an industrial hook and high shank foot fixing, there are all those specialised industrial feet on the market that will fit that you can get at very low prices ;o)