I love mine. I oil it with every 4th bobbin change -- someone on here recommended that, and it seems to work well. Like others, I've learned not to thread through all the holes. I use two holes and it works perfectly. What I really love is I can go from FMQ to walking foot without making any adjustments except to raise/ lower the feed dogs. And the extra harp space is wonderful for FMQ. So glad you decided to buy it for yourself. Sounds like you need a nice gift like that.