I have bought machines from big box stores and from dealers.
i don't consider either category of machine to be "disposable."
how long they last depends mostly on how much they are used and whether or not they are properly cared for.
a machine becomes "disposable" only when the cost to service or repair it exceeds to cost to buy one that has all the same features or one that has more.
i have one friend who paid less than $60 for a very low-end machine.
it lasted her for at least 10 years.
another friend has a $198 machine (also big box) that's still sewing like a champ after 6 years.
i sold a $350 machine to a friend. i had used it for 5 years and she's had it for more than 6 months.
again ... still works like it just came out of the box.
i sold two "dealer grade" machines last year. each had been at or near the top of the brand's range.
one i bought in 2007, the other in 2013. i sold them because i had upgraded and wanted to cover some of the cost of the new machine. they both worked as well as they did when i bought them.
because i have become very spoiled and self-indulgent when it comes to my machines i will most likely always buy from dealers from now on. (fingers crossed it will be many years before i take that plunge again. lol) but, that's only because i won't find the operating features i now won't do without in a big box store.
the future of machines is what we demand.
the future of quilting is what we make it.
