You mentioned you want to stay away from a plastic machine
Then look for a vintage Singer. QB even has a separate message board for those of us with the "Vintage Obsession":
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...thusiasts-f22/
Most vintage Singer's sell for under $100 (more likely around $20 to $40) and you just can't beat them - they last a looooong time.
One of my oldest Singer machines in constant use was manufactured in 1919 ... and she just keeps running.
Shari