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| | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review: ( 321 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
285 of 285 found the following review helpful:
 HOW TO STOP LOWER THREAD LOOPING Oct 16, 2008
By SBP
"Ladorada"
I too was having a ton of problems with the lower thread looping under the fabric. It was very frustrating. Finally I figured out how to fix it. Refer to the owner's manual section on inserting the bobbin for photos. What you want to do is drop in the bobbin, and pull the thread through the little slit like it says. But, you have to make sure that the thread goes into the slot in the "tension-adjusting spring" (this is hard to see; pull up the plastic tongue that forms the slit a little with your fingernail to see where it is), although it should go in by itself, then YOU HAVE TO HOLD THE BOBBIN SO IT DOESN'T MOVE AND PULL THE THREAD GENTLY TO SEAT IT INTO THE SPRING. That is the key. After I made sure the thread was all the way in, like magic my lower thread was working perfectly.
Aside from that I am happy with the machine. I especially like the needle threader and think that the top thread is very easy to thread. Now that I figured out the lower thread issue, I want to experiment with all the stitches! I wish the presser foot lever was on the back instead of the inside, but oh well. Be careful taking off the tape because I ripped some off and it pulled up a little plastic on the green part of the machine.
The owner's manual IS hard to read. The Spanish is right after the English, and sometimes they repeat the same instructions twice, and it's not laid out well. It is manageable, though.
They make you think you have to buy special bobbins, but on the box it says you can replace them with class 15, although I have not tried that yet. The accessories seem quite acceptable, except I wish they had given you some ball point needles for knits and stretch rather than just more sharp points.
Overall, it sews fine once you get everything threaded right, and I've made several tops already. Definitely good for a beginner or someone who doesn't want to do anything too fancy.
453 of 459 found the following review helpful:
One major limitation Jan 17, 2008
By Cassiopea
This is a great machine for the price. I am teaching my teenage daughter to sew and she is turned off by my clunky old Singer. So I keep that around for the tough jobs and use this new Brother for the light weight stuff.
The only major limitation of this machine is that it can't really handle heavy weight fabrics or multiple layers very well. There is no presser foot adjustment, so the foot can only be raised so much, and can't be adjusted for variable feed, depending on fabric thickness. There is only one setting. That means you need to use plenty of pins, and keep the old Singer around for the heavy duty stuff. Otherwise, a fun little machine.
206 of 210 found the following review helpful:
 Jury's still out, but not everything I'd hoped for. Aug 11, 2008
By NYer
I'm an intermediate beginner. I have some experience with industrial machines from a sewing class but haven't made any completely successful garments yet. A more experienced sewer suggested I buy a cheap Brother machine. I bought this machine in June largely because of the positive reviews it received on Amazon. Here are the pros and cons I've encountered to date:
PROS
--Price
--Bobbin winding and threading are straightforward (especially the threading function)
--Makes a nice stitch so far
CONS
--The manual is difficult to understand in parts and the layout and index are poor. It also confusingly includes a Spanish-language version immediately after the English text instead of following the English version at the end, as is usually the case with dual- or multi-language manuals. (Some users over at the Wal-mart site had the same problem.)
--The markings on the soleplate don't run the entire length because the feed dogs and bobbin case (on top of the machine) get in the way. The start of the gauge is fairly far behind the presser foot.
--The thread spindle can only handle small spools. To accommodate larger spools I've had to tape chopsticks to the spindle. I also bought a standalone thread hook to create height and tension, but haven't used it yet.
--The needle threader gets in the way. It's not that hard to thread a needle, and this is unnecessary.
--Has a somewhat toy-like feel. But for $114, that's not surprising.
--Some of the optional feet are not snap on.
--Many desirable presser feet will not fit this model. I think, but am not sure, that this machine is classified as a "5mm presser foot model." The "7mm" accessories don't fit. I went into a store after having researched another foot online. The place talked me into a $40 foot that does not fit and then would not take it back. Make sure any feet you buy will fit on this model, or at least buy from a reputable source like Amazon.
--It has a lot of stitches that I don't really have much use for. All I really want are a reliable and well-formed straight and zigzag stitch.
--The numerous dials are confusing and I can't but wonder if so many functions won't make the machine more likely to break down.
--An invisible zipper foot is not included. That would have been much more useful than the accessory feet provided, which I believe are (they aren't labeled, which they should be), a 1/4 quilting foot, a narrow hemmer foot, a quilting foot and a blind stitch foot.
--It doesn't come with a carrying case.
Frankly, I'm beginning to wonder if I wouldn't have been better off applying the $100 I spent on this machine towards an entry-level Bernina or an industrial Juki. More often than not you get what you pay for and sometimes cheap tools are more costly in the end.
Perhaps I will edit this review after a few more months of experience with this machine.
UPDATE, October 2011: I used this machine a lot this summer. My impression remains the same. It's OK, but even for a first machine, I would invest a bit more money for a little more machine.
137 of 140 found the following review helpful:
 Love it! May 14, 2007
By Carly Lynn
The first one I got through Amazon broke half way through my first project. I requested an exchange through Amazon and had my new sewing machine at my door the next day!! Before I even shipped the old one back to them. The machine works great, the button holes on this machine are soooooo easy, such a relief and pleasant change from my Singer with the 4 step button hole. This machine also worked very well with my appliques and all my normal sewing needs. For the price you can't go wrong here.
105 of 108 found the following review helpful:
Great for beginners May 19, 2007
By Melanie E. Rose
"isew"
My mother taught me how to sew the summer before I went to college and over the summer I really enjoyed learning and decoded I wanted to continue. I found the Brother for cheap and decided to go with it. It is a very hardy machine and has moved with me from home in New Mexico to college in Wisconsin for the past two years and I took it with me on a trip to Oregon. Each trip it was bumped and banged and buried under a pile of other things but came out working just as good as ever... a real plus in the life of a college student. I have learned how to do much more in the two and a half years that I've been sewing since I bought the machine and I am happy to report that I have not year found a project I could not do with this machine. It is easy to thread both the needle and the bobbin and rarely breaks a thread or catches. It has been a great machine to learn and grow on
See all 321 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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