Hi: I have a Frigidaire 2140, which I think is similar to the 2940 save for a few cycle differences and the 2940Âs having auto temperature control, a slightly faster spin speed, and a more flexible delay setting, so most of these comments should apply to the 2940. I went with the 2140 and its matching dryer because they seemed to have the best combination of features and price for my needs. I am pleased with the machines and think they are good values. The washer cleans very wellÂsome items that I thought had been getting clean in previous top loaders come out better than ever. The controls are simple, and the machine is easy to use. The normal cycle takes about 50 minutes if the extra rinse and heavy soil options are not selected, so it's not all that time consuming. I find the capacity more than adequate, although I donÂt have particularly large loads and usually do 2 loads per week. This machine doesn't have a heater, nor to my knowledge does the 2940, but because IÂve never had a machine with one, I donÂt know whether that is a deficiency. Some find the capacity of the matching dryer inadequate, but I have no problem with it. The one thing I do find frustrating is the washerÂs tendency to keep redistributing a load when setting up a spin, even when it looks fine the first time. Sometimes, but not often, it will skip a spin between rinses, but that doesnÂt seem to affect the machineÂs washing and rinsing ability. I wouldnÂt call the washer quiet, especially during drain and spin, but the noise level is not objectionable to me. Mine has no vibration problems and is very stable when spinning; however, it is on a concrete floor in the basement, so I couldnÂt say how it would react in your setup. I have had these machines for only 5 months, so I canÂt comment on long-term reliability. So far, so good. There have been reports of washer bearing failures after several years, which have been attributed to various factors, including a design flaw, repeated oversudsing, and the use of liquid chlorine bleach. Others have reported no problems after years of use. I donÂt use bleach and am careful not to oversuds, so we shall see. I also looked at the Affinities, but I didnÂt like the way the doors sagged on their hinges when open. I think that might have been corrected? I donÂt have any experience with the Duet Sports but have seen many positive comments about them. I hope this is helpful. Good luck with your decision. Let us know what you get.

I have a BabyLock Espire; not the Espire that came out years ago, but the one that is called the "new" Espire, and I love it. It has all the things Nanajayne mentioned, plus what was one of the most important features for me: automatic thread-cutting. Two other nice features the Espire has that my first BabyLock didn't have are the ability to lock my stitch selection (so that if my elbow hits a button, I won't suddenly find the needle position changed) and a smooth transition from the accessory box to the needle plate. According to the dealer, a bunch of other machines have a little bump there that tends to flip your seams towards you when you are doing piecing. Until I got one, I had to stop just before a seam reached the presser foot to make sure the seam was still pressed in the direction I had chosen. The new Espire's throat is approximately 8&1/4", pretty good for machine quilting. It is kind of pricey, but often dealers will offer machines that people turned in for an upgrade within their first year, which are much cheaper, and they have been serviced and work well. One way to get a great machine for less. Last spring Babylock took off the full price of my first BabyLock when I got the new Espire. But as the others have said, the best thing is to look around and try out various machines. I'm sure you will find something that thrills you.

I don't do a lot of fancy stitching, machine embroidery, or until lately much of any machine quilting. I prefer the older, heavy all metal machines and I think my mother's mid-50s Necchi is my fav of all time. I need to get some electricals taken care of to go back to using it, but when I do it'll be the machine of choice. I have a very modestly priced (compared to most of your machines) new Singer heavy duty and it chews through the heavy stuff like butter, and is an extremely fast machine. However, it has a very touchy bobbin. I have a little basic back-up Brother I use for mending and is very easy for patchwork. I still prefer treadles, but the one I use is a long bobbin and doesn't hold a lot of thread. I need to scope out a newer (maybe twenties or thirties) treadle machine and if I come on one, imagine it'll be used for everything.

mmack66, I have tried doing that several times and it doesn't help. I've tried just sliding it half way down to sliding it down all the way and then tightening that screw. I have the old belt and it has so many cracks in it (it also broke when I removed it). The machine did work when I had the old belt on, so I am thinking it is not the correct size. The old belt appears to be larger around than the new one I bought.I don't know if it is because of the age of this old belt or not. When I tried to wind a bobbin, I had to press down on the metal thing that rests on the bobbin while it is threading (don't know what it is called). My husband said his mother hadn't used the machine in over 25 years, so I know it needs a good oiling/cleaning. I have been sewing for over 40 years, but I have never used one of these older vintage machines. The machine only sews a straight stitch, no zigzag stitch, so I can't make button holes with it :( Anyway, I have looked in Walmart and in one local sewing machine/fabric store and this Dritz 903 motor and bobbin belt was the only one either store carried.