I always sewed with an old plastic Singer and it gave me tons of problems. I went to a LQS for my first quilt class and the machine broke down the day before my last class. They assured me I could borrow their machine. I was absolutely floored at how the machine 'hummed' and how it worked. It was second hand and cost $2900 and I went online and bought it from eBay for $1400. I have had it now for 9 years and it still hums for me and I have never once had it repaired, and I love her. That is why I spent what I did for a machine.