Plastic does not equal nylon, Joe. And a new Singer does not equal a vintage Bernina in quality. Nylon gears give a bit and the engineering of the machine may need that slight give whereas metal doesn't have that capability. I don't think it's about saving money on these vintage machines, it's all in the engineering of the machine. If all the internals of the machine are metal except for one gear or nylon cam, there's a reason that goes beyond saving a dollar. Now, the new machines are a different story....