No Daryl, you are not hated.
You are right that a professional machine or even an industrial machine can be a very good investment and in your case a very good idea. I do like a good Bernia or Singer and quite frankly if I am working on something like stage curtains I wouldn't want to do it on anything but an industrial. It is true though that at home I have the inexpensive Brother and I have even used it to do some repair work on heavy stage curtains. So you might wonder why I push the cheaper versions.
When someone is just starting out I don't want them to hold them selves back because they think they can't afford it. I also think that they may not be sure that puppets are for them and perhaps well discard the endeavor in a few months. I want people to realize that they should not let cost or for that matter anything hold them back. For example, just because Antron is a popular fabric to use does not mean you have to use it on your puppet. If you can't find brand X that is mentioned here then perhaps there is something else that you can get in your area that would work just as well. I guess it all goes back to my belief that there are no rules when it comes to puppet making.
So I guess in closing, in Daryl's case a good professional sewing machine it a very good investment. Why because he uses it often and he uses it hard. Also by purchasing it at a second hand sewing machine shop he has place where he can take it to be serviced. This is pretty important for someone who is using their machine a lot. In the wardrobe shops I have worked, they normally try to have the machined serviced at least once a year. Sewing machines are a bit like cars... they need oil and can be tuned. I can oil my machine but don't ask me to tune it. I leave the tuning to the professionals.
P.S. Daryl your 2 cents is worth so much more then just 2 cents I think. You always make me stop and think.
