I purchased a Bernina 930 new in 1983 & still have it. It's a workhorse. The 903 will chunk thru a couple layers of thick leather with no problems. I actually used it so much making jeans & other heavy fabric items I wore the feed dogs down, LOL. I believe it was the last all metal machine Bernina made. I also have the Bernina Artista 200E sewing/embroidery combo machine. Bought it in 2004 & I use it hard too. What ever model you choose think about how you will use it. If it's for quilting then look for one with a larger "harp area" if you plan on doing your own quilting. A larger harp area will give you more room to stuff all that fabric thickness thru. Bernina is a great machine & sews beautifully. As they saying goes "Nothing sews like a Bernina".