I am not a beginner sewer and I am not an expert quilter. I’ve had three less expensive machines than this before and they each lasted a couple years. I had to frequently take them apart to repair them myself. I did not want to spend $2000 or more on a machine. I did a lot of research about this machine. It was easy to assemble and easy to learn how to use the machine. It had many features on it that I had not had another machines. My favorite feature is automatic, cutting of the thread, which saves me a lot of time and thread! The machine is quiet, smooth, and I feel happy every time I sit down in front of it. I do recommend this machine for the beginner or above level sewing.