Well I much prefer the way cotton thread looks, feels and acts and actually use 12 wt for quilting and 30 or 40 wt for piecing, both 100% cotton (don't do too much traditional piecing these days).
I have a 22 year old Viking that could care less what I use for thread, but my 8 year old Bernina needs a rather frequent attitude adjustment to her tension because of the heavier cotton threads I use. :lol: The lint issue does not bother me; it's easy to clean out and I do it often.