FW were made specifically for the female sewer to do all the repairs if any, on it. Machine repairmen were few and far between in rural areas so this was a major selling point. The machines were built to last for generations. They are very light weight. I take my FW to classes in a tote bag. It sews a stitch to rival any high end machine today. That's all it was built for, a perfect stitch. It took me many years to finally find one. Now I can pass it on to my one and only Grandbabygirl.