Sad to say, but today's Singers are not our grandmother's Singers. Today's are plastic and are pretty much "throw away" machines when they break. As Izaquilter says, go to a reputable lqs or sewing & vac shop; they have a huge price range. The best deals are often "previously loved" machines that do come with a warrantee and service contract. I teach quilting at a local shop and we see lots of disgruntled Singer owners coming over to us from the box stores. Eventually most of them buy new or previously owned Berninas rather than putting any more time or money into inexpensive machines. It makes me so sad to see people struggle with box-store machines when they could be spending their time having fun making quilts. You can also check Craig's list, eBay and yard sales for an older machine of better quality, although you won't get any guarantees with them. Good luck!