We have 4 Vikings in the house -- an older #1, a Husky serger, a Designer 1, and a Mega-quilter. All of them have given great service with never a problem after many years of hard use. Just get regular annual maintenance on them and follow the instructions for cleaning and oiling and they'll last pretty much forever. My mom has also used nothing but Vikings for well over 50 years without a bit of problems. They're among the best machines made.