Do not have a brand to recommend, but think you should consider industrial/commercial for the type of sewing your doing, many have the up or down needle position feature.
Check local dealers for a used one might find a great deal on one and if dealer has it probably was just serviced.
IMHO if your buying older home type machines and sewing upholstery fabrics they will not hold up for long..
The Home machines can sew upholstery for maybe a few projects but on a regular basis the motor would over heat thus ruining the machine's motor or gears.
I have an old Singer 185j it sews leather or silk, have used it for upholstery but not great quantities or on a constant basis. Would not think of putting Heavy Upsolstery in my Embroidery, Sewing or Sergers, cost too much to repair or replace.
Hope others have more input.

I have a new viking husqvarnna, emerald 183--bought on sale in Canada for $599--it would be cheaper in the States.

It does indeed have this feature as well as a fix feature that eliminates reversing to secure your stitches and many other features as well as 83 stitches that really amount to more because it allows you to string up to 3 different stitches together.

I think most husqvarnna's have both the needle down and fix features but why don't you check them out on line. They have an excellent website

My Brother ES 2000 has the needle down feature,
but I would say it is not for upholstery.
Perhaps Brother has a more heavy duty machine
with the needle down feature.
I do love needle down. Didn't even know I
had it til one day reading thru the book!
Nice surprise.
Kathy G in MI