Before you give up on the Brother, check out a couple of other websites, including SewClassic. Although Brother may not supply, there are sites that supply Universal converters so you may still be able to set it up for use without much of an additional investment. I'll have a look around too. Sounds like it's time for your luck to change! If you or hubby happen to be buddies with an electrician, I'd start asking questions there, too.
Good luck! And Happy Quilting!