"I think my biggest issue is I'm scared to use it for fear of breaking it."
You won't break it. I have 2 Pfaff machines and love them both. One is almost 20 yrs old (Creative 1475CD)and it does almost everything but wash the dishes. The other (Tiptronic 2040) is almost great and I like the sloped front of the machine bed which makes it very comfortable for your hands. Once you go through the basic instructions of all its features you will love them. Love the built-in "walking" foot feature.
Both of these were made in Germany. Excellent workmanship.