Brother also makes singer and the Brother salesman told me he'd never buy a singer either. I own 4 singers one janome and one stradavarous(sp, was grannies). I use my singers alot. If I were going to buy a new machine no matter what the brand, I would buy from a dealer, you get free classes(usually), trade in value. You can still get the same simple machine but with extras from the dealer. If you buy from wal-mart you get a receipt and a box warranty.

Manufacturers do make and sell different quality items (not just sewing machines) depending on which retail chain is selling them. They look exactly the same but some of the components may not be as good. These days there are more gently used machines available as people trade up rather than buying new and hanging on to the old as well. It may take a bit of research but you can find a good quality machine, at a reasonable price that will last you for years.