Customer Reviews
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2016 of 2037 people found the following review helpful.
Don't let the low price fool you. This is a great machine!
By Plein Jane
This machine represents the most incredible value-for-money on the market today. It is very, very easy to use, and the manual is exceptionally helpful. It comes with every foot and accessory you could ever possibly need. In fact, there is nothing more you can buy for it. Compare that to the other sewing machine manufacturers, which give you only the most basic feet and then you must purchase everything else separately. If you have been hankering for the convenience of fully computerized sewing, automatic needle threading, push-button sewing, and lots of fun stitches, don't hesitate. I highly recommend this machine. I've owned very expensive machines from all the top manufacturers, and would not recommend it if the stitches were not beautiful or if it were loud or junky. This was given to me as a gift (I'm ashamed to say I would probably have walked right past it because of its low price) and I love it so much, I have gone on to buy the Brother serger here on Amazon, and also a $999.00 Brother Innovis, which is another tremendous bargain. I was really pleased to see that even the more expensive machine uses the same bobbins and feet as this one, and this has many of the same features. This $200 machine comes iwth virtually all the same attachments as the $1000 one.This is the machine that some of the larger sewing and quilting expos are using in their workshops now because they are so lightweight, easy to learn, and reliable. High end Berninas and Vikings are just too complicated for people to sit down and learn at in a classroom setting, and they are way too expensive. This machine is the Featherweight of the 21st century, with tons of stitches and fun built in. Go for it!!!
984 of 1004 people found the following review helpful.
Sews like a dream, but there are lots of design problems: updated
By Victoria Wright
Every time I describe this machine to sewing friends, I start and end with "It sews like a dream." And it does, so far, if it's not stressed with too many layers (and I haven't even tried denim yet). But this machine is not, I suspect, a workhorse. It is audibly annoyed at thick layers, like French seams, although so far, it does, with encouragement, sew them together. I love the reverse-stitch button. I love changing stitch types and sizes with the touch of a button, and I really love that it even tells me what presser-foot I will need (although I am not looking forward to changing the feet). And it sews like a dream.However, the light is ridiculous -- small, dim, badly placed -- and the first thing I did was clamp a gooseneck lamp to the table so that I could actually see to sew, thread the needle (there is some Rube Goldberg-type set up that is supposed to do that for you, but it is too small to see, requires an extra hand to operate, and works half the time), and see the screen whereon the cool stitch size/type info is displayed. Everything involving the bobbin is terrific, from winding it to dropping it in. Threading the top thread is a snap till the last two steps, which require tiny, nimble fingers and powerful laser-like vision. You will have to roll excess fabric tightly to fit it through the minimalist tunnel between the needle and the body of the machine, so don't plan on making a heavy wool, lined coat. The narrow, plastic foot pedal feels cheap and is poorly designed. If I merely inhale while sewing, it goes from slow to warp speed, and I spend too much time chasing and repositioning it. This is one of the problems when we don't have metal parts anymore -- you can lift this whole machine with one little finger (literally) -- don't count on it to stay where you've put it (and that includes the machine, which I once tipped when shifting fabric). I admit, though, that the thing really does sew like a dream.This is my first new machine since the Nixon administration, and I still have my fabulous, heavy, mechanical Singer that will sew through layers of chain mail, but I was seduced by the free-arm and the buttonholer (which I'll eventually use, I suppose) and the alleged improvements and ease of use. I believe that, while it does sew like a dream, this machine was designed by someone who has never sat at a sewing machine to actually use it. You know -- to sew something.PS -- I have now been using this machine daily for a couple of months, and I am delighted to say that it handles denim beautifully. In fact, I have fallen in love with this machine. The light still sucks, and the design flaws are still annoying, but I'm loving this sewing machine. The tension issue that I've read about happened, in my case, only once and when I understood why (it was my fault -- sloppy threading of the bobbin), it has not reappeared. I humbly admit that I was hasty in voicing my concerns. For the money, this machine, despite the light, is a terrific deal. If I could add a star or two, I would, but Amazon doesn't allow it.
1196 of 1223 people found the following review helpful.
Pros and Cons - You Decide
By T. Zielke
I bought the machine for the price and the features, but I have to admit, I was nervous after reading some of the reviews that told about all the problems that they had right away. But I figured it had to be better than my 35-40 year old Kenmore. I want to state right away, I am very happy with my purchase thus far. I've had some problems (read below), but I have managed to figure some things out. But, if you are looking for a good machine to quilt, this machine has all the features you will need, and it's priced so you can actually afford it. 2 other points to know, Amazon has a good return policy and from what I have heard, Brother has a good customer service history. These were 2 other deciding factors for me.So here are my first impressions. I thought I was going to get a 1/4" foot that is shown in the instruction manual. I didn't. If it was supposed to be in the box, I'd love to hear from someone to let me know. I also read in the reviews that some people got a instructional DVD. I didn't get this, but if I was supposed to get it, I'd like to get it. The hard cover does not allow you to keep the machine plugged in to use it, so it's not going to be useful for me, except when I want to store it long term. I cover my machine whenever it's not in use with a quilted cover that I made for my old machine. Luckily, it fits my Brother.The instruction manual is very helpful. I followed it from front to back so that I could learn everything I could. When I finally got ready to test sew, the tension was really messed up. I worked at it for quite a while, referring back to the manual to adjust it correctly, but it just wouldn't work! So I threaded the machine again, and took the bobbin out and made sure that I inserted it exactly as the book indicated, and magically, it worked. I think I must have did the bobbin wrong at first. Lesson 1, read the directions! And if all else fails, read them again.My next problem was very strange. Suddenly the thread was bunching up on the bottom side of my project. Out came the instruction manual again, but the answer wasn't there. I changed the bobbin thread to a different color, which showed me that the top thread was the thread that was bunching up on the bottom. So I started messing with the tension again. But that wasn't helping at all! So I decided to try a different thread, and SHAZAM! it worked. The original thread I was using was a cheap thread, I changed it to a good quality thread. Lesson 2, this machine does not like cheap thread.The quilting table is a fabulous accessory! But I am still working out one problem with it. The backside of the table doesn't seem to attach to anything on the machine. So as I work on my project, the legs shift and eventually they fold up. The instruction manual does not help in this case at all. I'm still working on this one.Even with these issues, I am still glad I got this machine. I am able to work faster with more precision. The machine is quiet, compared to my Kenmore. And it is much lighter too! The downside is that it moves around on my table more than I like, especially when I am quilting a larger project. I'm not sure how I will fix this problem, but I will eventually.So now it's time for you to decide. Good luck!
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