Bobjack

The machine heads thing isn't all that bad an idea. The "crossover" mountain dulcimer is one example of an instrument that appears in both versions. The "traditional" builders generally used pegs, but with the more ready availability of steel strings (dispensing with the need to find your own cat) the machine tuners have almost entirely displaced peg tuners.

And lower string tensions aren't entirely a bar to machine heads, as seen on banjos (although banjo string tensions are higher now than in ancient times). Banjo tuners are a sort of different breed, and are used by some dulcimer makers. They probably are not, inherently, the cause of all the jokes about out of tune banjos.

Machine heads are found on many of the new "electronic fiddles," but folkies tend to make jokes about them that rival the banjo/accordion lot.

Properly fitted peg and hole tuners do work quite nicely on fiddles, so if there's a problem it's probably just time for maintenance.

John