The only time I had to have my Featherweight worked on (I do the regular cleaning and oiling myself, occasionally) was when I was getting mild shock therapy on my left wrist from the machine. Enough - already! Turned out I needed to buy her a new motor. Got one on Ebay for $80.00. The nice man charged me $20 to do the work and a tune-up that I didn't even ask for! She was born in 1936. Yeah - it was worth it. I'm often tempted to buy a new machine with bells and whistles. But I don't.