I agree, when buying a sewing machine, you get what you pay for. I went shopping for a new Singer/Kenmore and found that many of the new models are built in foreign countries and have inner parts that are made of plastic. Needless to say I still sew on my 30 year old Kenmore. My niece bought one of the new Singers and her cat jumped up on the top, breaking the foot she was using. This was a small cat and the foot was made of plastic. Ask many questions when shopping for a new machine. And look at more than one brand so you can compare.