I would totally go for an older machine- check out the older machines. My go-to spare is a Japanese made PINK Atlas, made in 1961. It's a zig zag machine, but more importantly, it's all metal, stitches like a champ, doesn't have cheesy plastic parts, or jump across the table, and she stitches like a little workhorse. All for $35.00. How can you beat that?