There is a magazine, Creative Embroidery that has in the past listed machines and rated them with regards to price. I have a Viking 1+ . I would check into getting a machine that does everything you want and look into getting a used one also. The Viking dealer where I live sells used machines, you get a warranty and when you have the machine serviced for a small fee he adds another year to the warranty. Make sure you sew on the machine also. See how many times the software for the unit has changed and the cost of updates; this can be expensive. Although my machine is older I found a way on the internet to do the endless hoop designs and it requires more work, but it can still do this without buying the Designer.
Have fun shopping and enjoy.