I haven’t used an industrial machine but I imagine one of the cons is that they’re probably going to be more expensive than the lower end home sewing machine. Also, they might have specific feet and needle needs so it might be more expensive and a pain in the neck to obtain these. Your mom might not be able to just use the sewing needles found at your local fabric store. Industrial machines might be heavier than home machines so that’s something to consider if she doesn’t have a permanent place for it and might have to lug it around and some are stuck to the table base because the motor is housed below and not inside the machine. Yes, industrial machines are more heavy duty than consumer machines, will probably have a longer life, and able to handle heavier fabrics, like leather, better than home sewing machines, but they’re usually less versatile in their functions. They’re usually meant to do one or two things, like just straight stitches or a buttonhole. If that’s all your mom plans to do, then she’ll probably be ok with an industrial machine. If she wants to do other things, like use a blind hem stitch, do a stretch stitch, or do heirloom sewing, then you may want to look at consumer machines. Hope that helps! 🙂