A well made machine is a thing of beaty and joy. Some of the best pieces are decades old. A dream for a gym head would be being able to select every little piece in your gym. I feel a machine is neither better or worse than "free weights," it's all on a case by case basis. What's a free weight exercise anyway? Is a pulldown or low pulley cable row free weights or machines? I doubt a free weight calf raise is generally better than calf machines, the opposite is probably more true. "The more stability you can have the more muscle engagement you can get." A chest supported row is probably better than a regular t-bar row.