As with everything, cars, computers, TVs or sewing machines; one mans love is another ones hatered of the product. There will always be either Viking lovers, Bernina lovers, etc. Also as with everything once in awhile a bad one will fall thru the crack and get sold; that is life rather it is mechanical or even the food that we eat. Alot of times shops change what they are selling in order to make a larger profit; nothing wrong with that but they should just say we changed our line and not belittle the other machine. How many times in the past few years have we heard of companines having problems and maybe facing bankruptcy and then to come out of the slump;look at Sears. I have a Singer of 26yrs that still works great, a Kenmore/Janome of 3yrs that works great and a Viking Mega quilter of 1yr; great machine and I have the Viking #1 in the shop that I have just replaced with a Viking Ruby. All of these machines are great but I've met others who have other machines and they feel the same way about thier machines; that's the way it should be. If Viking was such a poor quality machine they wouldn't still be selling and people like the ones on here that have had thiers for years and are holding on to them wouldn't exist. Keep on loving your machines; try out different ones at different shops if you decide to buy a new one. Each one offers something different.