Overall a good machine and sews well, but some features are less useful than the corresponding versions on the 30 year old Viking it replaced— for example, there is far less storage space in the base, and no pegs upon which to hang bobbins in the storage area. The outsize and inconveniently placed reverse button is less easy to use than the older front-mounted version. I do like the automatic needle threader, but the inability to turn off the needle up/down feature is absolutely infuriating— the machine always makes a half-stitch more than i want. Only time will tell if it’s as well-built as my previous Viking, but since the Emerald is used by a local sewing school, I assume so.