I love my walmart - Brother - sewing machines! I bought my first one simply because it was inexpensive and I wasn't sure how much I'd like sewing. It was a work horse, used it for 5 years. I stopped using it because something fell on it while we were traveling. We tried to fix it, but the damage from 'internal injuries' it sustained was fatal. The second, a pricier one, is also great. I haven't used all of it's features yet - and the manual is fabulous!
There are brands other then what WM sells, but that doesn't make them better. The best machine is always the one that meets your sewing needs at a price you can afford.