I too wanted a lightweight machine to carry to classes. Ended up buying a Singer, paid about $100 for it. While it doesn't have 'needle down', it does a fine job of basic sewing.
Thought I wanted a featherweight... tried one with no success. The bobbin was
very sensitive and would create a nest of jumbled thread constantly. Even had the sewing machine repair guy work on it... still had the same problem. **I know most people that own a featherwight love them. Guess I just happened to get a lemon.
