I swear by Singer because I have been using it my entire life. My mother made wonders on 1892 singer (I know it is really old and it still works perfectly), but unfortunately nobody makes them that sturdy any more. If you are not sure, go to Amazon.com and read other people's reviews. Also, I would check Craiglist in your area. You never know! People are often upgrading to newer and better models so you can get real deals.