I purchased this machine after obsessive research. Initially, I had some concerns since the manufacturer's website has a relatively low rating (3.8 or so). However, upon further review, it looks like many of the negative reviews on that site are folks complaining that they got a lemon (if that, some of it may just be inexperienced users) and--get this--are angry that they waited beyond the return period to test the machine, and therefore are out of luck. LOL.
I placed my order on Saturday, and my machine arrived in Texas on Wednesday. My initial impression of the machine is that it is sturdy, well-built, and comes with a lot of accessories. Now, this isn't a super expensive machine; it's a budget-conscious upgrade, though, that fit right into my plans to sew my own apparel.
Be aware that the machine does not come with a printed manual, so you'll need to save that file and print it off yourself. Just for fun, I printed mine off as a booklet and figured, why not? I stitched through the center of the booklet pages (I don't have a long-reach stapler). Although the longest straight stitch length I have found so far is 4.5mm (compared to my Brother, which boasts 7mm--I think, don't quote me), the machine punched through 11 sheets of paper without hesitation. Nice!
I just completed a stitch sampler with every stitch on the machine. Realistically, though, I don't get too excited about "300 stitch patterns!" In my 30+ years of sewing, I think I've actually used decorative stitches... twice? Three times? Anyway, I was a LOT more excited about the option to stitch letters. Finally! (I can neither confirm nor deny having immediately programmed the machine to stitch a slew of profanities, after which I may have sent a picture to multiple friends, laughing about my immaturity.) Regarding the letter embroidery, 10/10 would recommend, programming the letter sequence is surprisingly easy. The machine even features special characters, like punctuation, and a few letters with accents/an umlaut. An umlaut, guys!!
The machine is much quieter than the comparable computerized Singer I bought circa 2005, and have shamefully neglected maintenance on (which may explain the noise). It has a nice, smooth sewing action, and I'm thrilled about the adjustable pressure on the foot. Sewing buttonholes was quick, easy, and precise, thanks to the included spring-loaded foot, which feels much more solid and well made than the prior hunk of plastic still swimming around the bottom of my sewing box.
I also appreciate many of the other features, like the brightly illuminated white/gray LCD display. The tie off function is great, as is the automatic cutting function (which pulls both threads to the bottom and snips off all but about 1" of thread tails). Just be aware the if you use the auto-cutter, you will need to pull a bit more bobbin thread out to have a clean start to your next line of stitching. It's nice to have a dedicated needle up/down button, as well as the option to adjust this setting to default one way or the other. The start/stop button makes the machine feel accessible to those with physical limitations, and the speed control is great--it's a slider bar without stops. On one end, pedal-to-the-medal offers a comfortable-for-beginners pace, and on the other end, the 1100 stitches per minute clenches muscles we don't talk about in polite company.
Speaking of which, be extremely mindful of your stitch settings and presser foot. This is a heavy duty machine, y'all, and it packs punch. I had an absolutely terrifying moment when I accidentally set the machine to a zigzag with a straight-stitch foot attached. For reference, my prior machine would have struggled, made a series of angry noises, then stopped and bemoaned its failure with an error message and series of beeps. However, this time, when the needle made contact with the presser foot, the machine proceeded to KEEP TRYING to punch through that solid metal, seemingly with increasing brute strength. Ultimately, the machine needle broke, sending a shard of flying metal that, miraculously, did not put my eye out (I guess reflexes had me on that one). So, either pay attention or wear safety goggles!!
The worst thing I have to say about this machine is that it doesn't come in black, which is far more chic than the inoffensive, industrial shade of gray. I guess I'll survive this terrible, heartbreaking tragedy.
If you're on the fence, I'd strongly recommend this machine, including splurging a bit over the other models. I'm a big fan of Singer, and I'm so glad I took the plunge.
