Michley LSS-202Combo Lil LSS-202 Combo Mini Sewing Machine, Electrical, 2-Speed, White

ProsSmall and compactAccurately described by maker as capable of durable stitching, albeit one type of stitch [ I tried one manual hand held machines that made similar claims and never were the stitches as tight or strong as this powered machine]all accessories and features work as described: foot pedal, battery power, AC power, bobbin winder, speed and hand controlseasily found generic wear items: bobbins, needles and threadeasy access to thread needle and replace lower bobbineasy access to adjust tension and upper bobbin or spoolsmall enough that a light is not necessary [ as found on competing models]the machine stops during a jam prevents irreparable damage to the unitConsNo reverse stitchStitching does not lock, so you have to knot tie preferably both start and finish to prevent unravelingenclosed printed instructions are terse and inadequate for total novices [ like me]very difficult to learn the proper thread tension, it requires a touch as you may have to make subtle adjustments for thicker or thinner cloths: to learn it I used scrap cloth and practiced setting different tensions to see what would happen, I then double the cloth up and repeated the process so I could tell how taught the thread should be for different types of thickness; loose tension makes stitches uneven, weak and bunches of thread jammed into the stitch, too tight and the thread snaps off, just right and a stitch pattern develops, when perfect a stitch pattern is evenly spaced on the top and bottom of the stitch and look identicalonce the cloth is pulled away from the machine and the threads cut you must clear any twist or worse, knots, and separate both threads to insure it doesn't jam with the next use and that no thread may jam in the bottom bobbin area; both bottom bobbin and needle thread lines should be extended about 1 foot in front of the user and free of twist and knots, I separate them to the left and right of each other before starting a runthe needle must be threaded from LEFT to RIGHTthread from the upper bobbin or spool spindle MUST follow the thread guide path as it insures it will not jam when in use, it must move freely along this path, not looped around any portion of the path which can happen on its own if the thread has loose tensionboth thread ends must both be under the pressure foot and not looped around the foot or any part of the shaft such as the screw or the needle thread guideI bought this with a lot of skepticism since 1/3 or reviews were 1 star and another 1/3 were 5 but it was cheap enough that I'd have nothing to loose. It works very well but took a lot of learning to get right. I did not know how to use any sewing machine, so had to learn everything from scratch, although I had friends who used an old manual sewing machine that operated similar to this, without many controls or various stitch patterns of modern machines, just for DIY repair work, so I got tips watching how such old machines work but never used it myself. I read the pdf manual cover to cover and watched several how-to videos on youtube on sewing with the LSS-202 as well as look a like machines. I got it then working in 1 hour, and could do most any material I had at home after practicing for 2 hours on scrap cloth, practice included setting different tensions, clearing jams, as well as using the bobbin winder, the different speeds, foot pedal and hand control. The machine is made durable enough that it worked flawlessly all this time. I've then repaired 5 shirts, 3 socks, a jacket seam. It took minutes to repair each item, most time spent to position the garment for the best approach. My tailor charges me $10 for small repairs per item, plus a week wait per job, so this machine paid for itself after only 2 repairs, and no waiting at that.I can now store the 202 until next time and I now have the skill to use it immediately without fumbling and get the job done. $17 for the unit and the knowledge of sewing, priceless!

I suppose I should have listened to all the negative reviews out there! I figured for such a low price it was worth the risk. Unforunately, I never got this machine to work and I spent about 2 hours trying--after spending the night prior reading over the instructions carefully just to prepare myself!! By the end of that time I knew I'd done everything right (based on reading tons of other reviews as well as watching videos on youtube) but the thread would not pick up the bobbin thread. Finally I gave up. I will say the machine came threaded and ready to go but unforunately my daughter turned it on and so I had to re-thread it. I'm guessing if that hadn't happened I would have at least been able to complete a project or two before the machine had to be re-threaded. Also one part of the instructions was completely wrong. I only figured that out after reading reviews...it said to turn the hand wheel away when you should turn toward you. All in all a waste of money and I'm guessing it will cost nearly as much to ship it back as the item itself so I can't even get my $$ back. I'm so sad--I was REALLY excited to use this little machine!

Tip #1: It arrives completely threaded so take closeup photos. Then, when you change the thread, you can look at the photo to see how it's done. Tip #2: Do not remove/change the thread until you are absolutely positive that you know how to thread it yourself. Tip #3: Take it slow and don't rush it. Carefully read the manual and practice sewing while it is threaded. I spent over half a day, learning how to use it and made lots of mistakes along the way. Tip #4: The Operational Manual that comes with it is practically useless. It poorly explains how to do things and I found lots of inaccuracies. Tip #5: Watch YouTube! Look up LSS 202 and there are at least 4 videos. Watch them all and you will be amazed how much clearer it is to understand. I ended up watching the videos multiple times to get different sections right (how to load bobbin; how to reload thread on bobbin, etc). Tip #6: Might need a pair of tweezers to pull out the 'bobbin pin" out of the hand wheel. Based on the manual, I didn't understand what they were talking about until I watched a YouTube video. It isn't even labeled on the directions! Even then, I thought this 'pin' was missing from mine until, I used a pair of tweezers to pulled it out! Be careful though, this is cheap plastic and might crack easily. Tip #7: It is helpful to have some sewing machine experience. I hate sewing and I haven't used or even owned a machine in over 35 years BUT, my mother taught me to use a sewing machine when I was in high school and so I know the basics. Threading this little machine is similar to a real machine. I also know how to pin and iron the hem so it stays flat when sewing. But, if you are determined to learn, then sewing experience isn't required but you have to have a high frustration tolerance or not mind if its roughly done. Tip #8: Probably better for infrequent sewing needs. I hate sewing so much that I only need to sew about 1x per year (e.g. sew on a button). I bought this because I had a few items that wouldn't be fun to hand sew (long tears in sheets from the dog) and a pair of jeans that had to be hemmed. Once I figured it all out, it worked great at stitching up that long sheet seam and hemming the jeans (I even trimmed them in the same yellow color as the pockets-looked pretty professional). BUT, it isn't a very strong seam so I wouldn't be surprised if it comes loose and I have to redo it. There is only one type of stitch - there are no zig zag. I had frayed edges on my jeans so had to buy a liquid product that would stop it from fraying. Tip#9. Create a small sewing kit. It is so small that I store mine in a 12x9x10 plastic file folder holder with a handle. I put the machine in there with just a piece of bubble wrap covering it and also have enough room for all of my sewing notions. I have two small thin clear organizing kits in the file folder holder too, one holds the different colored threads and the other holds other sewing stuff. The pin cushion I just loosely throw in there. I just store the file box on a shelf in the laundry room. Tip #10. It is so cheap, why not buy it? If you have very few sewing needs, you don't have much room for storage, you are willing to take your time learning it, and can be careful not to break it (it is pretty fragile and made of very cheap plastic), then this is the sewing machine for YOU!