I also have a designer II..I bought it new years ago..I love it..I used it for everything including quilting huge quilts..Mine is a work horse..I also have the embroidery unit..My only complaint is ..I have to keep a computer that is older to use to make designs..Because the program only works on vista or lower..U can buy a new program..But I feel they shouldn't make u keep paying for more programs..I have only had it in the shop for check ups...It has major hours on it ..I think u may have got a lemon..To keep putting money into it and still have more problems is a problem it's self..as others have said .U can buy a cheaper embroidery machine for the repair cost of this one..and u can put your cards for sell for people like me who still have good operating machines..I just bought a used Mega quilter for quilting..I had looked at them for years..But couldn't bring myself to spend the money..But this was used and hardly used..Couldn't pass it up for the money..U will love the ease of it..The only thing wrong with them is the locations of the bobbin..and it doesn't hold a lot of thread when it comes to quilting..in my opinion..