I use my FW all the time and take it to classes and retreats. Never had problems threading or seeing any of the parts and my eyesight is not so good. It threads very easily. Never a problem with it "bouncing" on the table when sharing a table with other quilters. It is my "go to" machine even at home. I just love it!
That being said, I do love to applique and have to check when taking other classes to see if a stitch other than a straight stitch is required. So I ended up also buying an inexpensive machine to take when special stitches are required. It cost about the same as a FW, but I don't think it is the type of machine that would be able to be serviced or cleaned regularly due to cost. One service call and cleaning would cost almost as much as I paid for the machine new! And it has the craziest blanket stitch that makes it harder to applique. I have had it 3 years and I am starting to have some problems with it.
My advice would be to figure out what type of quilting/sewing you love to do. If it is piecing, consider a FW. If it is applique or things that require special stitches/features, I would go for a modern machine. However, I would "test drive" the modern machine to make sure it has the stitches you want (no crazy blanket stitch) before purchase. And I would purchase the best one I could afford - one that can be serviced in the future.
Good luck - it is a tough decision. Let us know what you decide to do.