Thanks to all for your helpful and thoughtful replies! I think that I have finally accepted the fact that one machine won't do all. I thought this Viking Platinum would be more robust than it is, but it seems that the plastic computer machines have limits that are way lower than the robust mechanicals of past years. For me (just coming from one of those past machines) this has been an eye-opening disappointment. The dealers will never admit this either--for the most part anyway.
I am now looking at pre 1990, mostly metal, mechanical machines for a second primary duty machine. (I presently have a serger also.) At first I thought a Bernina 830 or 930. But the parts are becoming harder to get and to my understanding some parts aren't available at all. So I have turned my sights towards an older (perhaps 10 years old, mostly metal) Bernina 1008--which is still being made today. Any thoughts about the robustness of this unit? Can its sail over humps?
By the way, where do you all find all the bargain/free machines?