I'm pretty fond of Brother machines. I've bought and used lower end ones and passed them along when I upgraded and those "cheap" machines are still going strong. One of them was a CS6000i, I paid about $140 for it, used it for about a year, decided it was too small and now my nice and nephew (9 & 13 years old) have it and use it for their sewing and it's trouble free for them as well, despite yanking the fabric, breaking needles, sewing things that shouldn't be sewn, etc. (My sister tells me that they've sewn decorative stitches onto cardboard with the thing...and it still goes...)
My embroidery-only machine is also a Brother, and was not very expensive. I don't use it often, but it functions flawlessly when I do use it. (As long as *I* don't screw up the stabilizer or something)
I have also been told by a Babylock dealer that Babylock machines are made in the Brother factories. And just from looking at them...I can see how many pieces they have in common, at least on the exterior.
I've never sewn on a Babylock but if you're looking for an inexpensive sewing machine and you want something modern, a Brother is a good choice in my opinion.
Vintage machines are pretty awesome, though, if you can survive without some of the modern conveniences. You can spend less on a machine that will last your whole lifetime. For me the bad part is that they're like potato chips, I can't have just one; there are too many COOL old machines out there...