I have worked for Viking and also own a Designer 1, and i truely believe there is no better machine than a Viking. I have heard numerous stories from friends about their pfaffs --they like them, and then the computer parts went out, had to wait for months to get the replacement parts, and cost them a boatload of $$$. I understand that now Vikings are being manufactured in China--but what we didn't know before is that the computerized Vikings have been made there for several years--and they were still top of the line machines.
So, if my house were on fire, i would rescue my Viking!