I have worked with Singers since I began to sew about 65 years ago. They have gone from metal to plastic, from basic to computerized. I have the 7470 now and I really like it. I use it mainly to do quilts. I've heard they have gone down in quality which is really sad, but they remain at a price that most of us can afford. I just can't believe the cost of some of these machines. You could buy a car for the price of some of these machines!