"you sew too much"
I was reading in another section - and one person was bemoaning the demise of their expensive, 8 year old machine. She said the repair guy told her she had worn it out - "you sew too much" . The plastic gears just couldn't hold up.
I think I'lll stick to my old metal girls - some of the ones showing the most wear are the best sewers - they are just getting broken in - not broken!
I use to worry a bit what I would do if my main machine (1981 Viking 990) checked out on me, as it does have an electronic board. I've not found a "new" machine for under $3,000 that I would consider. Though it may be fun to get an embroidery machine, I think I'd select one of my older machines for the steady work. Then the question would be which one of the others would move to center stage!