What I like about this machine:

It's built like a tank, has up to 2 1/2 inch thick cast iron. Never moves from the table even at high speed...

It produces a very neat stitch...

Very easy to thread (top loading threading is easier than lower threading of the bobbin because you cannot get to it as easy as the Cub 7 which is front loading).

Copes with 5 layers plus of denim...

The foot control is very smooth, you can start very slowly and it has nice gradual increase...

It's incredibly quiet...

All metal parts, everything is easy to see working...

External motor, means you can more easily check condition and if belt ok...

Oiling points easy...

Excellent clear instruction manual.

What isn't so good:

It's far too heavy to carry to sewing classes (a trade off of the built quality)...

Only does straight stitch and zig-zag, making a button hole is a chore...

Getting to the bobbin case/shuttle area is tricky...

Plastic cabinet for machine.

Underside workings of sewing machine.

Other end of underside of machine.

Underside of machine, here you can see the shuttle assembly. Note the thickness of the supports here.

Tray

Back view of machine.

The white parts here are all cast iron, some parts are 2 1/2 inches thick.

Brass replacement vertical zig-zag gear

External motor, made in Japan.

Here you can see more metal parts, no plastic in sight. You can see the bobbin winding mechanism on the far left and the rubber motor belt. No teeth on the belt to grind down. If the machine comes across anything too hard to sew (hasn't yet), the belt just slips.

Here you can see metal pressure foot knob. The white tension knob shown at the bottom is also metal.

The bobbin winding mechanism, all metal.

The vertical zig-zag nylon gear which was broken on my model 45. I had this replaced with a brass gear. The nylon gears were fitted because they were quieter than a metal version, although I noticed no difference.