My first machine is a Singer 15 Clone. Just a old black straight stitch machine. Made in the 40's. It has a bigger harp than most modern machines, is very quiet, very heavy duty. I've got it set up just for the FMQuilting. These are simple durable machines, easy to use and fix yourself. Can be found on Craigslist for a good price. You don't need a fancy computerized machine for quilting.