Murphy224

Lots of good advice already...Shopping for a new machine can be overwhelming but also much fun. For service and "issues" you may want to have a dealer close by, so first I would check out the dealers in your area and see what they offer. Closer is better for service, training, problems. Go see them, see what they have to offer and what deals they may have going now. Also, you may find a trade in deal that will get you more machine for less money.
But first, make a list of things you feel you simply must have: needle threader, bigger throat, needle down, fancy stitches, etc. Another thing to do is go online to the manufacturers sites and see what is available. You can do comparisons on what each machine has and what you need and want. Then when you identify the machine you think you want....go test drive it.
Finally, take your time, your budget of $1k will get you a very nice machine with lots of features that will last a long long time.
Good luck and enjoy the process.
Murphy
PS I am very partial to Janome machines. I own the 3160, 6600, and the 15000.

Dina

Whatever you decide, be sure to try it out first. When I was looking for a new machine 7 years ago, I "test drove" machines at 3 dealers. I did end up spending more than I had planned on, but I bought a Pfaff and it was the right decision. My dealer has since gone out of business , but so far my machine and I haven't needed any help. She did get cleaned yearly until the shop closed last year.

I took fabric to each store, tried various machines, and took notes. It was like buying a car.

Dina

oh munner

I purchased a Baby Lock about 8 years ago from my local quilt shop, which is now going out of business. I paid just about $1000 for it, which was supposedly a quilt show deal price, and have nothing but trouble with it since day one. I can't offer any advice as to which is the best, but I certainly can say, without a doubt, that I would NEVER purchase another Baby Lock.

Kimarene

I just bought a Juki F600. I love it already! Also have the Juki 2010Q, which has a large throat for FMQing.

love2sew8085

If you are going to quilt on your machine buy something like the BabyLock Jazz that has plenty of throat space. Don't let the dealer confuse you that you can quilt on any machine. Yes you can, obviously. I bought a Bernina 440QE to sew and quilt on. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE it. It sews like a dream. I did start my FM quilting experience on it with the BSR foot. The throat was just so small that I had to fight my quilt and found that anything past a baby quilt really made my shoulders sore. I can't afford to have my quilts go to a longarm and I really enjoy the quilting process so I bought a Viking Mega Quilter. It has not necessarily a long throat space but a tall space. It doesn't have anything like the BSR so I had to learn to FM on my own. I'm really good at it now. When shopping for your machine be sure to get something like the BabyLock Jazz that has some decorative stitches. My Viking only straight stitches like the Brother mentioned above. It would be nice if it had some decorative stitches. I use my Bernina for piecing and binding, and the Viking only for quilting. Have fun shopping!!

Treasureit

You might try looking at machines on Pattern Review https://sewing.patternreview.com/ when you narrow it down to a few. They have everyday people reviewing their machines..it helped me when I was looking;

ckcowl

I would visit Local dealers and test drive their machines, purchase one in my price range that I liked the features of. It is nice to purchase locally then you are able to take advantage of the free new owner classes and services when needed. It is nice to take those classes and learn all the bells and whistles of a new machine.

Mkotch

I think it's best to buy something that can be serviced locally and where you can get training and help if you run into glitches. I tested out quite a few machines before settling on the Juki2010 but when I got it home and really started to use it, I found I didn't like it as much. So I took it back after a week and got an Elna with zigzag and other stitches. My dealer was very kind and helpful during this whole process. If I'd ordered online, I would be stuck. Buying a new sewing machine is harder than buying a car!

lindaschipper

Bought the Janome 6500 Professional, but it cost more than you want to spend. At the time, thought all those stitches would be great, now that I have it here there is serious doubt if I will ever use more than 10 of them. Take time to consider how you sew and what you sew. Don't buy more than you will ever use. Good luck in your purchase.

Innov8R

You absolutely cannot beat the Juki TL2010Q if you are looking for a straight stitch machine. I have one and I am in awe of it. I believe the best situation is to have a WORKHORSE mechanical machine for quilting and heavy work and a separate computerized machine for sewing and embroidery. If I were in your place, I would buy a Juki 2010 and enjoy it. In the future, I would plan on purchasing a computerized machine. I saw the Jazz at a LQS and was quite impressed. I shopped for several months before replacing my Janome 9500 with a Janome Horizon MC14000, but these machines are quite costly. I am pleased with my new machiine, yet the Juki is still my go-to machine for many things. I need both machines and when I take one in for service I still have a good machine to use.