Thanks for all who helped me in the decision process! In the end, I went for the Juki HZL-180SZ. It seems quite sturdy at first impression. I remember having used someone else's cheap machine, and for me it just had too much of a plastic feel - remember, I'm a Bernina record 830 girl (my mom's machine), that's all metal!
To try it out, I took a piece of fabric and hemmed it for a table cloth for my sewing table. So far, it's doing really well! Now I only have to wait for the accessories to arrive (instead of the promised 32 pressure feet I only got half of them - with some of the essentials like the FMQ foot missing... But the vendor promised me the right box), and then I can start a new project!
Here's a picture of my new baby:
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