Whoa, I am extremely arthritic and not very strong, but have no trouble lifting my 301's 16 pounds. That why she has a handle. I use only the handle and put her on the seat of the car if the sewing site is close to the parking. If I have to walk a bit, I have the rolling case from JoAnn's to hold fabric, rulers, etc along with the machine.
It comes down to what you realy want. I want my 301.