Wow! Thanks for the great responses!
I went ahead and bought the Deluxe model of the LSZ-1. I think it will be just fine for what I needed. I was looking for something that can do light work, and maybe 30% of the time, I will be sewing heavy stuff (sewing bar tacks of my climbing harness to attach gear loops, etc).
I have had it for about a week now and am quite pleased. I can sew regular home thread on it, or heavy v-92 or v-138 if I'd like. One slight prob is I can't find anywhere in Los Angeles that sells that heavy stuff and now might have to place ANOTHER order to buy some.
The one problem I have noticed is that if I sew many layers of fabric together, the layers shift. I'll get to the end of the seam and have a 1" overlap. Maybe I have to start pinning the layers together?
I think you were right Brent. I really got the impression that I was buying from a super reputable company that was going to help me have an enjoyable experience with my machine. So far, I'm glad I bought the machine.
love
nick