I would room end an older mechanical machine, maybe a Singer from the 40s or 50s. I couple of years ago I sold one of my hand crank Singer 66s to a 9 year old who has used it for the last 2 years quite happily. She has made quilts, stuffed animals, and even a skirt. The hand crank is easy to control and incredibly easy to operate. It just purrs and sews beautifully. So many of the inexpensive machines are easy to throw out of time and impossible to repair.