I grew up with a FW. When I married I got an Elna - when it wore out I searched for something I could afford. LOL. I wound up with a new Viking. It was ok sort of. But when my DD got married I let her take it. The search began again. I bought a used Viking - ok but I wasn't totally happy. Sold it to a friend. Bought a brand new Janome. HATED it but they wouldn't take it back. I pretty much quit sewing for a while. Finally sold it. Then I found a 401g in the trash. I don't know why but we connected. Since then I have found I love and happily sew on various vintage machines. The 401 is a winner but I like the 403 much better. The Singer 503 is a very nice machine too. Those old slant-o-matics are all metal and the needle slants forward so you don't strain your neck to see what you are sewing. I have an old Sears Commander that does very nice work and all the short shank attachments fit it. These machines were precision built and the sewing comes out with much more precision as well. The newer machines won't sew through anything very thick - if they break you are out a machine. If the vintage machines break I can fix them my self.