Dalronix

So sorry you've had all that trouble. I would be sickened if I had spent all that money on a lemon. It sad that all these machine companies, and that includes Singer, Janome, Bernina etc., once had such great reputations. It doesn't matter which brand and model I've looked at, each one has had as many good reviews as bad ones.

I tend to believe that mostly people with problems of any kind complain, whether a sewing machine or a kitchen utensil, about them while the thousands of satisfied customers say nothing. There's a thing in sales called the 'ripple effect' - a dissatisfied customer will tell between 9-15 people about their bad experience, a happy customer 2-3 people. "For every customer service complaint, there are 26 other customers who remain silent."

From my research so far, I haven't found a machine for home use that isn't built in China including Bernina which one reviewer commented on, "Bernina cleverly disguise the fact."

It's a big investment for many of us, particularly at an age where the machine may be the last one we'll be able to afford to buy due to retirement etc. Purchasing the right machine and one that is not a lemon despite the brand's reputation, seems to be a big risk with sewing machines. And the warranty repairs and service of the brands don't seem to have all that good a reputation either unless you're lucky enough to find a good local technician.

Researching, buying and using a higher quality and more expensive machine is not the pleasure I thought it would be.