I've only had this machine for a few months, but I absolutely love it! It really can handle anything ~ I made a heavy-duty totebag and the machine had no trouble with even the thickest parts. It's easy to use, runs well, and I've had no thread tension issues (my great-grandma's old Singer, the machine I grew up using, *always* has problems with thread tension). My one complaint is that it sounds a bit like a plane getting ready to take off!