Hidden Gem - Buy if you spot one
Pros:
Excellent tension, strong motor, easy to use.
Cons:
Presser foot screw too small. Plastic feed dog cover.
The Bottom Line:
A low priced quality machine with excellent stitch tension. Powerful motor. Easy to use. Good as only machine or second machine for classes or travel.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I picked this model up for my daughter. It has an oscillating-type bobbin, similar to the coveted Bernina's (I own two). This machine is totally mechanical with an electronic foot control. I do advise that when you take it out of the box, you un-thread it and just run the machine for a while. I placed a book on the foot control and let it go for five minutes. The tension was perfect with just a minor adjustment on the thread tension and it maintained the tension throughout the testing that I performed. (It's for my daughter's birthday, so I just wanted to ensure that it was working properly before wrapping it up.)
This machine does have a needle threader, and comes with a large variety of feet. There were optional feet in the package that the manual stated were optional and needed to be purchased separately-- an added bonus! There are 33 stitches with 88 stitch options; everything you need to sew with from straight stitch, hemming, overcast, decorative stitches, and buttonholes. I thought the manual was good, as it explains how to set-up the machine and the correct foot to use.
The machine maintained good tension throughout my samples and ran smoother the longer I sewed with it. It has all the practical, stretch stitches, hemming, a few decorative, quilting and bar-tack type buttonholes. The reverse works equally well. I am not particularly thrilled with the plastic cover for the feed dogs (used for sewing on buttons or free-motion sewing), because I am used to lowering my feed dogs. Buttonholes took a little practise, I tried out three before I got a good looking buttonhole.
This is a smart looking machine, fully featured, and an excellent buy for the young gal/guy wishing to learn how to sew. I picked this model up for $77.77. There is a 25-year warranty on the motor. The machine is light-weight enough to take to classes or quilt guild meetings, yet heavy enough to stay in place while you sew. It sews equally well through rayon as through denim folded over to four thicknesses (like the hem in jeans).
It has a free-arm with a removable convertible/storage compartment to store the accessories. I was impressed with the hemmer, as it worked perfectly the first time I used it! Great little machine-- a gem in my opinion.
