I have a White-made Kenmore that's a close relative of this machine. It sews really well. I found the finish ugly at first (I bought it for the cabinet, mostly) but it's really grown on me! Mine had a worn & loud drive wheel like Joe mentioned but it was cheap & easy to replace with a new one that I bought online and now it's pretty quiet.
I think it's neat that the wheel goes the other way, makes it a little "different". That and that brown crinkle finish make it a unique machine in my "collection".
I like the angles on this one, too. No idea on the FW comparison though, sorry.