Need a new machine ASAP

I've been using my Kenmore 158.1516 for years now (it was my MIL's from the 1960s). I'm in the middle of making 60 party favors for my twins' birthday and it has now decided that it will not zigzag!  If it even can be fixed it won't be in time for me to finish the stuff for the party.

I've never done sewing machine research and now I'm  stuck!  So what is considered the best solid not super fancy machine out there?  I love my Kenmore. I just do small projects for the kids so it just needs to be able to sew and do some zigzag stitches and stuff. Nothing too fancy but it must be built well!

Thoughts?

I would recommend a necchi royal model 4595, they are good
machines, it my mechanical sewing machine,,I've had it for
around 10 years and never had to have it worked on,,but do have it serviced yearly, according how much I sew on it.
but used ones are good to,, singer ,jamone,elna,brother
have good sewing machines also.

Yikes - doesn't it always feel like these things happen at the worst times?  There are so many machines out there.  I guess it depends on how much you want to spend, what you will use it for, etc.  I have a Bernina 440 and I love it.  LOVE.  That said, it is an expensive machine but for me, it was worth it (mother's day present on my first mother's day with my twins!).  Prior to that I had a Kenmore that I really liked.  It was more simple and basic than my Bernina but it got the job done.  I will say that having a machine with more features has allowed to expand what/how I sew.  I believe that somewhere on this site there is a master list of machine reviews where everyone reviews the machines that they use, things they like, dislike, etc.