12 POUND JANOME 3160 QDC-ITS ULTRALIGHT BUT WITH A BIT MORE QUALITY-AND A BIT MORE PRICE (video 416) 

The start/stop botton makes this my dream machine as Im in a wheelchair.

That was my very first sewing machine, and the one that got me hooked. I did my research, and was looking to get a basic beginner model. I visited my local dealer and they recommended a basic Janome. They also had a good selection of used machines, and had this Janome 3160 QDC used, that wasn't too much more than the basic model new. I went home and did some research, and I was really impressed with the needle up/down feature, and the automatic thread cutter. My mind was made up to go with the used 3160, so I went back and slapped down my money. It's been a great machine to learn on, and I still use it a lot for repairing clothing. I love the automatic thread cutter, since that's the thing I miss most when I use older machines. I also learned the hard way that this isn't a "heavy duty" machine. Lotsa needle strikes in the plastic bobbin case before I figured out what was causing all these jamming problems. Live and learn.

Thanks for the info

While looking at the web site for my local sewing place, I noticed a Janome 1522. It's a full featured analogue machine that only weighs 14 pounds. The 15 in the model number represents a class 15 front loader, and the 22 represents the number of stitches. It's full featured, with dials for stitch length, stitch width, and pattern selection. There are two retractable steel spool pins, and one of them has a hole at the top that can be used as a thread guide when using and external thread cone. There is a dial for adjustable presser foot pressure, and the feed dogs can be dropped. It's also a full size machine with lots of harp space. I was going hmmmm, this looks like a pretty nice machine for someone starting out with sewing. It has everything you could possibly need, and it's around $200. I haven't seen these in the flesh, and was wondering if you've ever worked on one. If so, what was your impression?