I got a Singer 401 slant needle machine in CABINET for $25 at the Goodwill - this is the machine that has a gazillion built in stitches and no electronics to go bad!
Now when we lived up north in Indiana I had no luck at all finding decent used machines anyplace - thrift shops, garage sales etc, but since we've moved down here I've managed to find quite a few.
If you do decide to got that route, look for the older Singers because those machines were built with metal gears and made to last....
for straight stitch machines the 301 can't be beat - the feed dogs drop and they are FABULOUS for stippling.... If you find one of those for less than $200 grab it and run but don't celebrate until you are far away from the place that sold it :mrgreen:
Another good straight stitch machine is the smaller 185 but be prepared for a machine that weighs a TON... you'd never think that tiny machine weighed so much.
If your machine with the bad pedal is a really good machine ($$$$) and worth the money invested to replace the pedal - go for it. If the machine was less than $200, or especially if it was a $100 machine from Walmart, don't bother... just put it back in the closet and think about it another day :roll:
Sometimes getting a $75 machine to use WHILE YOU WAIT FOR BETTER $$ times is a good move. It gives you something to use while you wait and you don't feel so frustrated wanting to sew. Yes, it will have to be replaced sooner than later but you also know that you actually got some sewing done in the meantime.
You can also check out sewing machine dealers and look at their used machines but be very careful there - sometimes they want practically what the machine cost new and lots of the 'newer' machines have plastic gears that crumble.
Electronic machines are nice because of all the things they do but what all do you need to quilt?? a straight stitch! if you are into garment construction a zigzag may come in handy...
I have embroidery machines but for all my quilting I use my 301 from the 50s