I've had a whole raft of machines. The first was a long shuttle up in the haymow. My mom climbed up and got it running so I could sit up there and roast in the Summer and make doll clothesl. After we were married my husband bought me a small Singer, (not a featherweight) and it was a lemon. Fought the tension many times a day. Bought one from a catalog company and wore it out. Bought one at an auction for 50 cents and used it for quite a while and then gave it to a friend who used it many years until she passed away. Bought a lovely green Elna and three months later it burnt up in a housefire. Bought an upholstery machine so my husband could upholster cars. Now I have about a dozen machines, featherweights, and a couple of small machines, a grasshopper, an old tailor's compact sewing machine for going to someone's house, and my favorites, a 12 year old Pfaff and a much newer Babylock They do everything I want to do and more. I think that sewing machine salesman who seemed to think you should trade machines often was originally a car salesman. Replace them or add to your collection when YOU want to. Never mind what he says, the dollars are yours.