Ok, ladies---take a deep breath. I think I can calm your fears. I visited a sewing machine repair shop here in Columbus, Ohio a month ago to buy bobbins, 1/4 inch foot and needles for my 1948 ( new to me) Singer Featherweight. In talking with this very nice man, I learned a lot. He told me that the Viking Sapphire is one of the best Viking has in their current line for durability. He said that, the higher up, more expensive Vikings are usually the ones he has to service. We also talked about Singer (better to buy older ones like featherweights, 301, etc) Janome (very good quality machines) Kenmore (ones from the 1970's or older are best) Pfaff & Babylock (good machines) Brother (great beginner machines) Now on the higher up Vikings, he said it is usually due to the machine not being set up properly for whatever stitch or embroidery design. He rated sewing machines as follows for newer ones: #1--Janome, #2--Vikings, #3--Pfaff, #4--Babylock I also learned that when you take your Vikings to the Viking centers inside JoAnns here in Columbus, OH to have them cleaned, or serviced--they send them to him. He does not sell new machines, but will sell ones that people have brought in to him for service and then decide to not have it done. All he does is repair them and sell parts and supplies for them. I asked him if he thought the quality had gone down in any particular model of sewing machine and he said the only one he truly could say that about was Singer. So rest easy my fellow Viking owners---these are good machines and if you are lucky enough to get the Sapphire, you got the best out of the current line.