Originally Posted by CanadianLoon
You may be even more confused by the end of this thread .....
Yes, you might be more confused.
There are a lot of threads that have addressed this question. You can do a search for them.
I like my 'ancient' Viking - It has lasted 30 years with only one problem, and a few trips to the shop for cleaning. I also have two Singer featherweights - really ancient, about 60 years old - great machines. A lot of quilters like the older machines because they are real workhorses. For that reason, I would recommend looking for a used machine in a brand you like and trust.