This is an idea for Swansprite. I´m from Puerto Rico and since I was a teenager I´ve been sewing. My first sewing machine was a Singer and my new one is also a Singer. As you said I also didn´t like sewing machines with many complicated things, I like the ones with the necessary features. Recently my sister bring me a Singer HD110 sewing machine.She bought it in SAM´s
club for the price of 199.00. Very good price for that machine.You can find all the information of that machine in the Singer website. Is heavy and very easy to use. Maybe this help you in the selection of a sewing machine.