The old saying is true, especially for sewing machines, "You get what you pay for". I bought a Bernina 930 25 years ago. I have never taken it to the dealer for repairs, only cleaning. I have never had to adjust the tension, and I have sewn enough clothes on it to pay for itself about three times over, throughout the years. It is the machine I take with me to quilting (My husband and son pack it to the car when they are around) because I can leave it in the case and I know I will turn it on and it will not give me one bit of trouble. My husband pitched a fit because I paid $1,000, for it, but bought my second Bernina for me and did not blink when I paid $6,000 for my last one. I agree with the idea of looking for a vitage name brand. They are work horses. Good luck, though, because they don't get traded in and everyone else wants one too.

DO try the trade ins at the dealer! Also, come up with a list of things that you need/want in a machine before you buy. Things like sewing speed control, needle down features, dropping feed dogs and push button start/stop are things that I thought were luxuries, but have found that they are really necessary for me for some things. I was able to buy a Bernina 430 for $1000 at a local dealer this year and am really pleased with it. I also have a singer 301 and a featherweight that I can use. Going vintage singer is not so bad either :-)

The Brother machines at Walmart are not bad little machines when used as intended. I bought a CS1000 and loved it. They are made for light duty use like piecing and small quilting projects, light weight clothing and crafts. They will not handle many stuffed animals. They are not built for it. I'm not saying they won't sew them - I'm saying they won't sew very many of them.

A 60's vintage Singer machine is built like a tank and will handle stuffed animals with no trouble. I know a lady selling off her sewing machine collection if you want to go vintage. She has a Singer 503, 500 and a 600 for sale for very reasonable prices if you would want to go that route.