Singer 4411 Heavy Duty Sewing Machine, Grey

At first, when I unboxed it, I couldn't find the drop feet switch on the back of the machine and thought I'd have to return it, but realised the drop feet button is on the free arm. The specifications on the label at the back say that it has a 90W motor and that it was made in Vietnam, for those who are interested.I've tried it to see what it's like and it sews beautifully! I'm really excited about this machine. The presser foot goes a few millimetres higher than on normal machines, so you can fit more fabric layers through. Another feature I liked was how pretty and well-defined the embroidery stitches are! Advice: for best results, set the length halfway between 0 and 1 and the width at 6, which is maximum. If you turn the length to 0, there will be a jam. The zigzag stitch is really versatile, I suggest you play around with it, starting at 1 (length) and combining it with all the widths, then going to 2 + all the widths, etc, and then make a note for future use with the perfect length/width combinations for various applications (applique, Overlocking stitch, sewing elastic on the waistband, decorative, etc).The machine was perfectly set in the factory, you don't have to adjust anything, like tension or foot pedal. Some people complained about how fast the foot pedal is, but I found it works like a dream, so don't be afraid of it. I'm not a great fan of foot pedals, but this one is very easy to use. Some other people moaned about the light bulb being weak and the machine noisy. Neither criticism is valid: the machine is not totally silent, duh, but it's fairly quiet for a sewing machine. The bulb emits a strong, blue light. I love it and I'm looking forward to making a toiletry bag with it and to using it for many other projects!

I've sewed for over 30 years. I have tried many different machines, including a Singer computerized model (Singer Confidence 7463) which was a total pain to use fresh out of the box (the computerized ones give you less control - it's like driving an automatic car when you're used to a standard) and to the tune of €600 in 2009. I used to have a Janome Decor Excel 5018 (DE5018) that I loved (mechanical, $500 way back in 1990), but moved countries and had to leave it behind. In mainland Europe I bought the local grocery store discount model and dealt with it functionally for years but did not enjoy sewing with it. Then moved to UK and bought this one. Honestly I love this machine. Got it at a crazy good price £139.99. It purrs like a kitten and sews through thick seams. Feels industrial. No clanking noise, just the best, smoothest mechanical action. Drop in bobbin and thread cutter, all the basic stitches, what more do you need. Have had it for a year now. I do wish it had the "serger stitch" (the one that is a series of inverted triangles that ends up looking like a zigzag running between two straight lines) since I do a lot of stretch-fabric hemming, but I make do without it happily enough because everything else about this machine is so good.

Foot could lift a bit higher for my material (faux fur doubled over) but that's my only small gripe, and I don't think you can really get much better than that for this price without getting an industrial walking foot/professional quilter machine.Having never owned a machine before this, I can't offer much in terms of comparison, but as far as I have seen, this is a great little contraption.It's very easy to use even for a beginner like myself, whilst also having a load of nice options for stitches, tension, width, needle position etc. It generally pulls materials through evenly, and works very quickly.The look and feel of the machine is very sturdy and well made. It is weighted enough so that it sits firmly on your desk, whilst not being too heavy to easily pack away.The instruction manual didn't explain things very well when I had a problem and was trying to refer to it. My thread was tangling in the bobbin area whenever I tried to lower the needle. Their email customer service took over a week to get back to me, and when they eventually did, they just gave me a load of rubbish anyway.I ended up just going on an online forum instead where I got a really simple solution within half a day.During this 'problem' phase, in a panic I started looking at the warranty in closer detail as well. I dont know of it's just standard practice, but I noticed that there's a lot of things you're not covered for, and a lot of things that will void your guarantee, so be careful and be aware.Other than that, the actual machine itself is fantastic, especially for this price. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. :)