Sewing Machine Cunundrom

I have kind of a crappy sewing machine. I bought it used at a yard sale about 10 years ago when i was in high school. Despite its genericness, it has always worked well for me.

Until now.

My Euro-Pro 375 is not a fancy machine. It reverses, it has zig zags and other things i rarely use. But it seems to lack tension adjustments where I'm used to them being, it jams all the time, and it is full of dust and broken threads that i can't for the life of me reach to clean out.  But it's always WORKED. To SOME extent.

And then i dropped it. Woops.
I've been storing this thing in its original cardboard box for the last ten years and it finally broke open the other day, leaving the machine, and many of its accessories, to tumble out the bottom of the box. 
It hasn't quite shaken the trauma of that little incident.
Since then it just doesn't draw the thread in properly, the tension is all off, and the bobbin thread breaks continuously.

Mid project i decided to stop cursing and torturing myself (and anyone within ear shot) and just give it a rest. A service call would cost me about $79. And i'd be left with the same simple, crappy machine that may or may not need further repair. Or i could do a lot of craigslist/goodwill searching and try and find a nicer used one. My mama has a great singer i could have - but it is in Oregon and I am in Texas.

I continue the search! Wish me luck in finding a decent machine that will serve me better, and soon. The husband and i have some neat shared ventures (his website will be up soon, hopefully) that require a functional machine.

Do you have a favorite brand or feature in a sewing machine? (do you have one you want to give me? haha just kidding.... but really.....do you?) What is it you look for when shopping for a sewing machine - brand, features, age, or price, or all 4, or something else?