Yeah, I suspect that mine has metal gears (because of age, weight, and how well it's held up to abuse). Depending on what it's being used for (fashion sewing vs reenactment) it may or may not be worth looking for something like that (I think a modern low end machine would be fine for fashion sewing, but not rapier armor).

ETA: I did once pick up a second low end machine to have a spare, but I took it back because I wasn't happy with it. I don't remember the brand, but it was a Walmart machine.