If you sew, here's some sage advice from the 1949 Singer Sewing Manuel!

[winter is coming]

104. I've got a Viking 1100.

It was a present about twenty years ago, and at the time it was worth more than the old car I was driving. I'm not sure I'll ever own another machine. The thin plastic on the rectangular cartridges you swap in and out has cracked on my "A" cartridge (the one I always use). I bought some Contact paper (transparent, self-adhesive, sometimes used for shelf paper) and recovered the cartridge. Problem solved.

I've been very happy with Viking, both my mom's machine and mine, but I've used a lot of different types over the years. I've never care for Pfaff, but some people love them. My sister had a Bernina that was very nice. I've borrowed a Kenmore that was nice. If I were you, I'd try a lot of the brands out there and see which ones have features you like and which appeal to you. It might not be the fanciest machine out there. It might not even be a new machine. Pay attention to the little things you use all the time, and go for a machine that does those well for you. Life is too short to put up with a machine that does a crappy job of winding bobbins, or that is inconvenient in some other way you'll encounter a lot.