This is my second experience with sewing machines. My first was a toy Singer sewingmachine that I just returned because it was was dead on arrival (well, shortly afteractually). That was a Christmas gift for my daughter - a great idea, and though wehad not thought of giving her one ourselves (my wife does not sew either) she was veryexcited about it when she opened it. Unfortunately when I called the Singer toysewing machine support line they recommended returning it because they suspected afaulty part that they did not have in stock. That turned out to be a lucky break forus.So we ventured to Sears to check out what else was available, where we saw the Singer 7442and a few cheaper models. It seemed like it would be nice to able to do more thanjust simple stitches, and the prices were not all that different ($140 - 200). A quicklook at Amazon at the 7442 lead us to this Brother. Because the reviews were slightlybetter for the Brother CS6000i (and because I had just returned a Singer, and was notall that excited about getting another of that brand) I bought the Brother. After usingit for a few days I am very happy with this purchase.I gave it five stars, because for the price it really is a very nice machine (which you canread about in other reviews here). Easy to use, with lots of options that actually workand do make it easier to use. It does seem to have high quality parts where it matters.It is fun for her to have the wide variety of stitches, and the one step button hole featuremight be useful if she gets more into sewing.But nothing is perfect, and so here are the downsides that I did not see much written inother reviews are:It comes with a cheap (bottomless) cover that can't be called a case. It can't even reallybe called a dust cover since it has a hole near the top so you can reach the handle of themachine to carry it. It doesn't hold the additional pieces of the machine either.Brother should have just just saved that poor tree instead of including this 'case'.I'll be storing the machine and the additional parts in the original box and foam packaging.Although that is a quite a bit bigger than really necessary, it will provide much betterprotection than the 'case'. It's too bad they didn't spend just a little more on the boxpackaging and give up on the 'case' idea. They could have made the box a very functional andprotective storage mechanism if they just made it easier to pack.The machine is constructed with a fair amount of plastic (though it seems to be metal in the placeswhere it matters). The 25 year guarantee gives me some hope, but in general when I thinkof something made of plastic with electronics in it, longevity does not come to mind. WhenI was looking at the antique Singers (401a, etc), all made of metal, still working after30-40 years, I felt a pang of anguish for our society that has shifted from making and buyinghigh quality long-lasting products in the US to off-shore produced planned obsolescence.What a waste of resources, pity about pollution through the whole process, not to mentionthe jobs. I will be surprised if the LCD and electronics in this system are still workingin even 10 years (I'm going to try holding on to the receipt for the life of the 25 yearwarranty because I bet it will come in handy at some point). Maybe I'll tape it to thatcheap cover....The manual is quite good (without really knowing anything about sewing I was able toget the machine set up and sewing in about an hour), but would be much better if it werespecific to this model. There are many places in the model where it says, "Or you can dothis if your model has this feature." Well, there are times when I'm reading it when I'm notsure if my model has that feature, and it takes some time to figure it out. It reallyseems like Brother should be able to print different versions of the documentation fortheir different machines at not much extra cost. I would pay a few more dollars inthe overall price to have a customized user manual. On a positive note, every time I'vehit one of those sections so far, this model does have the feature.

I have used this machine frequently-a few days a week since october 2013. it has withstood the large amont of work that i have put it through and preforms wonderfully. I mainly sew cottons and flannels and fleece so I have not had a problem with the thickness between the needle and the foot. The computer is a true asset. It tells you which foot it will need-changing them is a breeze-push the spring release and lightly pull down on current foot and off it comes. To reattach the new foot, line up and lower the leg onto the new foot and push the release button again and release-new one snaps on. The computer also adjusts where the needle needs to be and the standard stitch length for that stitch. Also the pictures of each of the stitches on the side makes it very helpful to know which one cooresponds to which number. Also another benefit of the computer is that you dont have to use the foot pedal if you dont want to, its simply the start button and you can adjust your speed of sewing with the slider. very easy to speed up when going straight and long distance and with a slight movement of the finger you can be back down to crawling speed for corners or difficult spots. I also love that you can sew by the push of a button or by the foot pedal, you have either option with this machine.Threading the machine is a breeze. There is a threader that is on there and you have to hold the thread towards the back of the machine so it can grab it and then let go of the thread once you start to move the threader back to original position so that it can do the threading for you. I have used old machines before and threading them were one of the toughest things. With this threader it makes it so easy. I have found that its nice to keep a push pin, tweezers, or a loom hook near by so that once the threader starts pulling the thread through the eye of the needle that you can pull it the rest of the way through with one of these mentioned tools. **threading is so easy that I can sit down to my machine with no threading done yet nor bobbin ready, I can get 1 bobbin fully filled and the machine fully threaded and be ready to sew on my prepped project within 3 minutes** Its that fast!I agree that the light is not enough. I am glad that it is there but it does need some assistance so I bought a desk lamp on thrift and have more than enough light now.The extended table is such I nice feature since I am normally sewing really big projects and that assists with keep the weight at a better balance so that the material is not pulling my stitches askew.The hard cover is just one to set over it, its not really for assisting with travel so that is a con.For the amazing low price, to have still not had any problems in 7 full months, and for all of the accessories that it comes with--I LOVE IT so much. It has saved me so much time and allowed my hobby to become a favorite passtime again. (I had a very old hand-me-down before and it was always breaking down). I am sure that I will be using this machine for long into the future.

I tried two other lower priced machines for my friend and they were terrible. This machine is amazing., I am a professional seamstress with top of the line machines and was pleasantly surprised with this one! The table is very nice to use, it is very user friendly. I didn’t even read the instructions and was able to use it. The only thing I had a bit of a problem with was the needle threader. The instructions are not clear enough and I didn’t have time to fool with it I just threaded it myself!It has a needle up button which is good, backstitch which stitches backwards on straight stitches and in the same spot on zigzag stitches.This has many options that higher end machines have except it does not have a cut thread button. lol you get lazy when you have that button.It is much quieter and smoother running than the two lower priced ones.It went through my husband’s lined denim jeans when I took them in. That is a lot of thickness and it didn’t stall, make a noise just went through it like butter!If you want my opinion, this is the machine I would buy myself. Even to take to classes it is so light and easy to pack and carry.The hard cover that comes with it, the styrofoam inside it stays in there to give it a secure fit so don’t take it out!Spend the extra money and get a great machine that will last you for years and you will enjoy it!

Primero se me hizo super ligera a comparación con otras de la misma marca. Los accesorios que tienen son super practicos y utiles. El que sea electrica ayuda mucho cuando vas a hacer costuras como circulos o cuadrados por que controlas la velocidad de cada puntada. Y el precio ni que decir, super economica para todas las funciones que tiene. Super feliz de mi compra.

I totally love my new computerised sewing machine. It’s transformed my sewing in a huge way. Still can’t work out how to do the automatic bobbin threader yet as I’m not sure how you put the thread around the bit above the needles so I’m doing it the old fashioned way lol. I have still kept a hold of my we basic brother machine because it’s fab too but the new one will help me do more things than before. I also have the brother overlocked which is fab too. I would highly recommend all these machines. The prices are amazing. The set up instructions easy and straightforward except the automatic bobbing threader bit. I have had my other 2 machines for about 4 years and they are still going strong. Great make and excellent customer service if you need it. I could never use another make as these machines are phenomenal. I did see another computerised brother machine which does even more and I will probably invest in further down the line. 100% recommend anyone looking at this product or the other 2 because they have never let me down.

I am autistic and very sensitive to sound. I have wanted a sewing machine for a long time because i sew everything by hand and some things can take hours for something very small. This machine is very easy to use for beginners, quiet and enjoyable.I can’t really say much on weight as I’ve never owned a machine before but it’s light enough for me to carry from upstairs to downstairs when I need to use it and the case keeps it well protected.

I bought this machine to replace an old Singer that had been in our family for about fourty years. About a year and a half ago, I discovered cosplay, and I’ve been sewing my own costumes since. My old machine was struggling after so many years, and I wanted options like fancy stitches and one-step buttonholes. This machine absolutely stepped up to the task. I can see through multiple layers of vinyl (granted, not at top speed, but still at a decent clip), the fancier stitches look gorgeous, and I love the little extra features that I’ve never experienced before.The see-through bobbin case is a big plus for me, as I love being able to double-check that I have enough thread. The needle threader, which I’ve never had before, works like a charm, and it takes me barely twenty seconds to retread my machine now. It’s also way quieter than my old machine, and just has a nice sound about it.All of the accessories that came with it work well. The walking foot is a revelation, and my new favourite toy when sewing stretch fabric. As aforementioned, it’s really easy and quick to re-thread the machine. There’s a sticker with a simple diagram up top, and each piece that you use when threading the machine is numbered.It’s pretty easy to switch out needles and feet. The computer part works well; I have no issues scrolling quickly through the stitches, and I appreciate that it tells you which foot to use for which stitch.I’ve sewn through a lot of different types of fabric, and this machine has held up well under all of them. I wanted something that was multi-purpose but had more options than my ancient Singer offered. This one was a fantastic choice, and I’m really glad it’s the one I got.