I only buy simple mechanical sewing machines for many years. Most of the time (with some very rare exceptions like buttonhole making), I sew only straight stitches. Sometimes I have use for a zig zag stitch for about 5% of the time. With
Sears no longer offering their
Kenmore line of sewing machines, I have been buying sewing machines like the
Janome Hello Kitty 11706 
and one of the last
Kenmore made mechanical sewing machines
in 2010. Both of them are very light weight at about 12 pounds (the
Janome 3/4 in size) and 15 pounds (the
Kenmore regular sized) respectively. The one I am looking at next when it becomes available at my local
Ikea is the
SY Sewing Machine. It appears to have much more important features that the
Janome Mini does not offer-like a built-in light, more stitches even decorating ones, actually 3/4 size vs. just 1/2 size, and various exchangeable feet like zipper foot, buttonhole foot, cleaning brush, etc. The advertised retail price is competitive to the
Janome Mini at 59 dollars. If it is similarly constructed in a durable fashion (and I believe it is with a aluminum frame), and is able to sew over several layers of fabric like my other sewing machines, I will buy the
SY too.
Sy Sewing Machine:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60208974/