I totally agree with you. The machine I purchased in about 1975 from Sears is still going strong and it's the one I use the most and for the most reasons. It has never been professionally serviced, has never given me a problem. It has about 60 extra stitches and about half of those are "stretch" stitches. It also has 2 alphabet fonts. Like my 25 year old iron, nothing fancy but lasting. The expensive irons that cost over $100 always seem to break down, and the sewing machines that cost several hundred dollars also seem very fragile with short life spans.