Personally I second the idea of a vintage Singer or something like it. I was originally seriously thinking of buying a Brother 1500 or a Juki 2010, but realistically it is out of my price range right now. So now I've been looking for a vintage Singer for my FMQ, as the throat space is about the same and I can service it myself if needed. Those old gems of machines have proven their weight and gold by lasting so long. I have a 105 year old treadle that I'm working on restoring. It's throat space is 8.5" by 5.5", and I got it for $50...