Hello Zara,
The 114 which I believe was the Frister Star was not the best model they had but it is robust and a good worker, there is very little to go wrong, out of time for that model is very unusual and you will know if it is out of time if the machine misses stitches all the time or does not pick up the thread, Balance of the stitch is tension adjustment which on all machines can be a problem and frustrating sometimes, if the bobbin case keeps falling out make sure the latch on the bobbin case snaps properly, if it is loose then buy a new bobbin case, only you know whether to keep the machine or not but if you do decide to buy a new machine my advice is to stay away from computerised machines unless you are absolutely certain that the dealer you buy it from has been trained by the manufacturer to adjust and repair it, if I wanted to change a sewing machine these days I would not buy a new one, I woul definitely stick to Frister and I would be looking for a Cub 7 probably on ebay, I was in the trade for 40 years and I sort out everyones problems on here.
Ken
drivewithken
November 2009