my daughter has a refurbished singer...my mother bought the machine the year i was born. the year i turned 21 she took it in and had it all cleaned/serviced and gave it to me...it went through some rough times; including a house fire...and didnt' work anymore. i took it to a place where they refurbish machines, they fixed it all up and i gave it to my daughter for her 21st birthday...she is now 34 and the machine is still working just fine. most refurbished machines do have a warranty on them for at least 6 months- to a year. if i had the need i would not hesitate to pick up another refurbished machine. i even have a refurbished (mother-board) on my long-arm machine...has held up for over a year now.