I have an inexpensive Singer that is now permanently in its case because of the tension. I've had it serviced but 5 min of sewing and the tension is a mess again. So I finally invested in a Bernina about 6 years ago. I upgraded the original Bernina for a model with more stitches and couldn't be happier. The Janome 1600DP that I bought for my quilt frame seems to have problems with the tension but only when I try FMQ. So now the Janome is used for straight stitching. I am interested in everyone's comments here as well.