I had a regular Singer that I used for quite some time. Once I used a friends' computerized, I was sold. They run so much smoother. I bought a brand new Viking #1+ many years ago. I never have had a problem with it. I then bought a Viking Quilt Designer used from a Viking dealer and have never had any problems with it either. The Quilt Designer has the needle up/down feature that the #1 didn't have.
I would check with a dealer in your area to see what kind of machines they have that may have been trade ins. Usually the machines are checked over before they put the out for sale. That is a good way of getting a little better machine.