I have a Singer Sonata (1986 or so) and it has seen many hours and projects over the years. I'd love to have a FW and a few other older ones.......someday.

I have a new Singer Athena that I love. My husband "works on" sewing machines (we used to have a manufacturing business and my dad taught him) and he says the new ones (Singer and all) mostly have plastic parts, which is their downfall. He orders the parts and replaces them on mine but it is a shame they went to plastic parts. Metal last so much longer.

About 2 years ago I bought a new Singer from HSN. I loved it. It was quiet, sewed a straight seam had beautiful decorative stitches. It did almost all I wanted it to do. I wanted a few more features that this machine didn't have. So I bought something else. To help pay for the new machine I sold the Singer. Man, do I miss that machine. I think Singer is aware of the reputation they have and are working on restoring it.

I certainly hope so. Don't "they" know if they would try to restore their name and make a dependable product (like the 221 Featherweight, for example) they would make a gazillion dollars a day?
The Singer name has been around for how many years now.....looks like they would want to get hot on it and restore their reputation for the best machines in the world. I would pay more to have a new machine MINUS the plastics, as well as being made in the USA........I'm thinking I'm not alone.

I was given a Singer in '97 as a wedding present, by my grandmother-in-law, because "Singer's are the best sewing machine brand!" She, unfortunately, was basing that on her own experience with older machines. The machine she gave me was awful, just awful. I used to think I hated sewing because that machine would never work right and was so frustrating.

I finally replaced it with a Viking, and wow, what a world of difference...

I have a Featherweight that I take to my Guild when we are making things Its a great little machine

I also own a Bernina 440 and a small Jenome. I really like the janome and I've been thinking about getting rid of my Bernina and getting a New Janome with the Embroidery feature.

My husband is from Africa, and he thought Singer was the ultimate brand, too. But I see a lot of Jukis over there in tailor shops. Reputation, good or bad, takes a long time to change. They got 30+ years of selling disappointing machines on the old good rep. If it takes them as long to earn it back, whose fault is THAT? Also sent American jobs overseas in the process. And I'm no zenophobe, but it's just wrong to take our jobs, sell us junk using the good reputation built by American and UK workers they laid off, and put the difference in your pocket.

Singer was sold and the quality became iffy for a few years. It has been resold and now the quality is the same as most other med range machines. I have a Singer Quantum , the first model Singer computerized, and it sews like a dream. I've never had a problem with it except having to buy a new foot control. No machine made now will ever match the old vintage Singers for the made to last for generations.

The Singer brand is now owned by the same company which owns Pfaff and Husqvarna/Viking. I hate that these companies are no longer stand alone companies but this is the reality. I can't say for certain if the Pfaff and Viking brands have suffered in quality since the merger because I don't own one of those machines. I have sewn on the older Pfaffs before the merger and I have a Pfaff 138 industrial that I adore. I have never used a Viking machine. I do know they are dearly loved brands by many people, this is a good thing.

I am hoping to see some 'trickle down technology' to the Singer brand from the Pfaff/Viking lines. If this happens and the quality remains on the higher end Pfaff and Viking machines, I think Singer will be a viable contender in the mid-range market.