While I have a big box store brother which I love to death it is no where near the quality of my high end. You can just tell in the weight of the thing. My high end does have a ton of features are they must haves no because I use my little brother all the time and really don't miss them that much. They both have sewn very nicely so the quality is there but my high end handles thicker seams a lot easier. I do believe if you pay more your machine should last longer part wise as long as the computer doesn't go. That being said you can waste a lot of money on a machine that really does more than you need. There is a place for those little box store machines, and with proper care they can last a long time