After conducting a lot of research before buying my first sewing machine, this model sounded perfect. It was sold out EVERYWHERE - in fact, almost all machines under $500 were sold out at the time. I couldn't believe my luck when I found this machine on Wayfair! I watched some YouTube tutorials on how to operate it, and feel confident that this machine and I will get alone well. The videos make it look very easy to operate and very forgiving to beginners. I'm sure it will last me a lifetime. I can't wait to get started!!