I'm really hoping to find a machine that I can keep for a very long time. I plan on being very picky about it. I know I definitely need a machine that has a wider throat.
But when it comes to how "heavy duty" a machine is, how can you measure that really? This machine is a good little work horse for simple seams but it just can't handle layered materials or heavy materials (like the puppy dog costume I made for my son for Halloween).