I have the L-500 too and I also love it! Like you say, it's a huge machine. Along with the 500, have the CE-250 and the SES-2000 plus 5 other vintage Singers. I mostly use my 500 to do fmq because it has a larger throat space than my other's do. I've never had an ounce of trouble out of any of them (knock on wood), but I've noticed that the other machines that others on this board brag about also have trouble with their's from time to time. I buy what I like and can afford.