I cant help you with the higher priced machines. I have a viking rose and I love it...the only drawback is the smaller (4x4) embroidery area. As for working with hats...I've never heard or seen any home embroidery machine that is more than moderately successful with hats. I have worked with Generations but honestly I find Embird and its downloads for digitizing/converting/resizing/etc...easy and less expensive. I have worked with husqvarna's digitizing but on ALL digitizing programs the learning curve is pretty steep. I hope this helps...If you'd like to talk further
jrathke@hotmail.com

I have a Viking Designer 1. I love it! The only thing better is the new Viking Designer SE. Since the new SE came out, you can find good deals on the D 1. I've had my machine for three years and embroider Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, etc. I currently ahve the Viking Professional Plus software package, and am looking forward to getting their new 3D Professional package. I also lust after the Generations embroidery software. A friend of mine who has an embroidery business recently pruchased it and has been very pleased. If you have been using computers for years, you can very easily learn the more basic parts of the software programs; i.e., adding text, some editing. Digitizing is a bit more difficult and the learning curve can be pretty steep. However, if you purchase the Viking products from a Viking Sewing Gallery (which is a corporate-owned store and generally located inside a craft store like JoAnn's), you will get lifetime classes on how to use the software. Both the 3D Professional package and the Generations package are expensive - in the $1500 range, but yuo get what you pay for. Viking has a hat insert that fits into the 240x150 hoop. I received it as a Christmas gift, but I haven't used it yet. A caveat about purchasing a machine on e-bay. Many times the warranty isn't transferable. Also, ask the seller to provide you with their purchase receipt and warranty form (even if it's not transferable). If Viking machine is later taken in to a Viking authorized repair service for repair and discoverd to be stolen, iIt is confiscated and returned to Viking. That said, e-bay helped me sell my Bernina, but I provided all paperwork to the buyer and she has been very satisified.