Interesting topic.I must confess I love sewing machines, loved them since childhood & I am now 80 years old.. I love vintage mechanicals, love inexpensive machines from big box stores & top of the line machines from dealers. I am fortunate to have some of each & use them all, depending on the project, my mood, my location. I take the lightweight plastic machines to Stitch Camp, always feel sad when the weekend is over & I have to pack it up. Recently I had right shoulder replacement surgery, am still in an immobilizing brace but I can sew pre cuts on my computerized machine that has a knee lift, auto threading, auto scissors, etc, I can't sew on my machines without those features for another 4 weeks.
We are fortunate to have so many choices. to my knowledge the only US made machines now are the large quilting machines, all of the regular machines are imported.