Check online for customer reviews of the companies you plan to buy from. I purchased a Singer about the beginning of the year that failed. Still within its warrenty, I contacted the Singer Company, who promptly told me how to thread it. The problem was that the machine would NOT run at all and the plug was so hot that I had to use a potholder to unplug it. It had only been plugged in for about 25 minutes. They would not even communicate with me further. I call that LOUSY customer service!