look for the older kenmores. they are all metal and solid. they sew very well, you can get those with "fancy" stitches built in or one with cams. very quiet compared to my inexpensive brother. strong motor. Can often be found in thrift stores for around 40 dollars. My mothers was bought new in 1973 and is still sewing strong. You don't need a new computerized fancy machine to do great work. The older machines do great and since they are all metal and don't have a computer, they rarely truly "break".