SINGER | 5560 Computerized Sewing Machine with Included Accessory Kit, Hard Cover & Extension Table, 203 Stitch Applications - Perfect for Beginners

Great machine. I've been sewing for more than 60 years. This machine is fairly straightforward and easy to use. It comes with a simple "Quick Start" guide so if you aren't familiar with sewing machines you might want to download the digital manual. (I did just to have it on hand in case I needed it, but I didn't need to use it). The automatic threader works well; it runs smoothly and quietly. I tried out a few of the stitches and they worked well and are neat and even.

Great value for money. The machine does everything I want and is so easy to use. I especially love the needle-up/down function. I use it in 'up' mode which is great for the kind of repairs that I bought the machine for. The choice of stitching modes is wonderful and the styles are really cool/fun. I'm sure the embroidery sewing people will love them and to be honest I want to use them but have no reason to !! Very fancy :-) So here's the but .... when spooling a bobbin (black cotton) I noticed at the end of the spooling that the little plastic peg that is used to automatically stop the spooling was wearing off on the black cotton. Basically the cotton was scraping away the automatic 'stop spool' peg. This is shoddy and realistically there should be a metal cover to stop this. I guess that's why this machine is cheaper than others. All plastic = fast wearing. This is preventable by just stopping short manually and removing the bobbin. Or maybe I'll have to add a metal cover to the little peg !! It's not a show stopper and shouldn't stop you from considering this machine. I would realistically give this machine 4.5 stars but Amazon doesn't have that rating !! Value for money is great. [1-month later] I have really got to appreciate the subtleties that are designed into this machine and they are wonderful. I've actually gone through quite a few repairs of clothes now and it performs excellently. I use the needle-down mode more than I thought I would and it is a great way to stop you dropping stitches. The results look very professional !! I've also done work on some light leather and the machine is perfectly capable however I don't think the motor will hold out long for this kind of work continuously. It's not industrial spec so I don't expect to use it for this very often. More as a test in this example. I've used heavy needles (#18) with bonded nylon thread for leather work and it has no problems. I've used this machine a lot on Denim and it seems to have no issues going through 3 layers. I've had to use the hand-wheel on 4 layer Flat Felled Seams but this is because I want to make sure the stitch is even, hence me going slow. I believe it would easily penetrate the 4 layers. Here I've been using a #16 needle and denim thread. Value = 4.8 stars now IMO. [21 Jan 2015] I re-rated to 5 stars since that's closer to 4.8. I've made a shirt from scratch since my Denim work above. The machine is a great little workhorse and sews through thick fabric (4 layers) well. I can hear the motor forcing the needle through on slow stitch mode and it does it well. Love the needle down function. I've not had any issues with jamming or having to set thread tension. I wish the hole in the middle were bigger for feeding material through but I guess that's why you go to an industrial spec machine!! I've used a lot of the presser feet and they have all worked well. I've also used a hem & cut foot for doing fake serging and that has worked very well too. Very impressed !! Stitches are balanced, equally spaced and look good. Very professional finish (which I don't deserve!!). I would say you need to be gentle with the machine and let it feed the material. Don't force it or it will pucker (but I'm guessing that's just good sewing discipline anyway!!). Also make sure you use the correct needle for the thickness of material and thread type. I used a #16 needle for the thicker material was sewing.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother tried to show me how to use her Singer. It was a huge fail. Then, recently, I had a reason to make little drawstring bags, and I was so not making them by hand. I did a lot of research and finally ended up with this Singer. It has a really solid metal body encased in plastic. It comes with super clear directions on how to thread the top spool and the bobbins. The instructions are printed right on the machine in case you lose the instructions booklet. It handles thread from my local grocery store (Meijer, for you midwestern-ers), and takes regular plastic bobbins. It comes with a million different extras that are stored neatly in the arm of the machine. I've used it to make three bags on regular fabric, and a huge Harry Potter scarf on fleece. The foots (feets?) are really easy to change, and the stitches are a lot of fun. The foot that comes attached is a general purpose foot and it's what I've used for everything, but it comes with eight or so different feet that are SUPER easy to change in and out. For the record, this is an excellent beginners machine. I didn't even know what a bobbin was used for when I purchased it. It does come with a DVD to help you learn how to sew, but I haven't even used it yet, it's that easy. This machine would also be great for a kid learning to sew, because you can set the speed with a button on the front of the machine. So, even if your child wanted to use the foot pedal like mom, you can set it to the lowest speed on the machine, and use the foot pedal to sew. A lot of people were complaining about the thread getting stuck in the machine where the bobbins are located. If you read the instructions, you will see that the thread has to come off the bobbin in a certain way. It's hard to explain, but my suggestion is to read the instructions (not the quick guide, the actual instructions) before you use it. Also, if the bobbin thread for some reason gets tangled, it's really easy to gently pull it out of the machine. It's hard to say how much I love this thing. Easily my favorite purchase this year. Also, it has an excellent warranty. If you go to Singer.com, you can find the machine warranty there. The best part is that if you live in west Michigan, there is a certified Singer fixer-upper store right in Grandville. This might seem like unnecessary information for the entire rest of the world, but it played hugely into my purchase. It means I don't have to ship my machine to be fixed; meanwhile, you may want to look into your closest Singer authorized repair stores, because they're not ubiquitous. Would HIGHLY recommend this machine. **Update: After one year I wanted to review this machine again. I still stand by my five stars. I cannot tell you how many things I've made on this machine and it STILL works as good as day one. A few points... if your machine gets stuck and you get an error, turn it off. Unthread your machine and rethread it, and turn it back on. I freaked out the first time it buzzed and stopped, but it's really not a big deal. Also, changing the needle is easy peasy. I broke a needle trying to get through seven layers of fleece, and I thought everything was ruined- but it wasn't. And it comes with extra needles. This thing is really a champ.

I bought 2, one for my daughter and one for my niece as Christmas presents. I'm giving them weekly sewing lessons using traditional flannel pyjamas as the project (they don't have to wear what they've made out in public). The quality of the machine is better than what I was expecting for the price. As I started using it (so I'd know how before the sewing lessons started), I was pleased with various features that I hadn't expected. -- Start and stop button is great for beginners instead of also having to learn to control the speed with a foot pedal (which is optional but not needed). -- Speed controlled by slider on front is easy to use and machine always starts slowly and then speeds up. -- Automatic stops needle at either the top (default) or bottom (optional). At first I kept touching the flywheel to move the needle to the full up position but it was not necessary since the machine automatically does this. -- Needle threader - this would be great for old eyes.Also good for beginners! All the controls are easy to access and use as you are sewing. The machine comes with a little plastic dust cover which allows you to pick up the machine with the dust cover on if you want to move it. The accessories in the compartment at the front are plentiful. It included a package of 5 Singer needles and 4 bobbins -- wish I'd known that because I bought needles and bobbins separately. There's a clever buttonholer attachment that we'll be using for the buttons on the front of the pyjamas...you put the button in the back of the attachment and it makes the button hole the right size for that button. What will they think of next? The first thing my daughter did was try out the fancy stitches on a scrap of material. Very pretty patterns. But now she has to focus on straight stitching for the real work. One thing to note is that the speeds of the two machines didn't seem to be the same....one was faster on the lowest setting but still a good speed for a beginner.

Has USA power for Australia even though shipped within Australia so it blew up when plugged to adapter

Me encantó mi máquina!, es muy linda y fácil de usar para principiantes y con muchas funciones para las más expertas. Es un gran apoyo el auto-enhebrado y la gran cantidad de pies prensatelas que incluye. El DVD que viene es una gran ayuda para que antes de comenzar a usar tu máquina reconozcas todas sus partes y sus funciones más especiales. La recomiendo ampliamente. Yo y dos amigas más hemos comprado esta máquina a través de Amazon. Los gastos de importación no pasan de 700.

I bought the machine about three weeks ago after a long journey of trying and exploring machines. I had started on a used Brother machine but the transport of fabric had broken down and it wasn't worth the fixing. I had the opportunity to try a couple of machines at a local store and among them were the more expensive versions of this series. I liked them but they would have been over my budget. I finally settled with this machine as it is in an affordable price class and met my budget. My first impression: Positive: - it runs right out of the box. I took it out - connected it and it was ready to go. - it is light but not too light so that it does not wander on the table - it is running very silently and I like that i can adjust the speed manually on the machine rather through the pedal alone. - I enjoy the seperate chords for a) the pedal and b) the connection to the plug. - the manual is great and the machine easy to handle - I like that many parts are made from metal which makes them more durable in the long-run - after some first experiences with sewing different fabrics: It took all fabrics wonderfully! Great sewing experience. # - the automatic thread tension works great and gives each stitch on different fabrics just the right amount of tension... - I enjoy the many different stitch patterns and they are great for example to do tablecloth or placemats. Downsides: I don't have really many downsides yet - but: - I find the loading of bobbins a tricky business. You have to make sure that you get the thread proper into the slot for the thread tension before you pull it up - otherwise you don't have any thread tension from the lower thread at all and the result is messy. It needs a bit of practice to get used to it. My suggesetion: use metal bobbins in this machine rather than plastic ones!!! Somehow it is easier to get them settled in... - the handle to lower and lift the foot is made from soft plastic... I wonder how long this lasts. I find it "wiggly". - when I got the machine the bobbin-winder was in position. It took me a while to find out what the message on the display was supposed to tell me... It didn't give any hint in the fast-starter-manual and it took me a while to find it in the "big" manual. Overall: it is a great machine. Some start-problems but i think that comes with every new machine one buys. I really enjoy the sewing on this machine and find it very easy to handle. As mentioned before: except for the handle for the foot: it makes an overall solid impression - and that is true as well for all cables that come along. Side comment: If you look for a machine: Find stores that let you try machines before buying. It was a very revealing experience for me. For me the "logic" of a machine, eg. placing of buttons and handles, light quality etc was increasingly important. The overall handling was another one. Weight, durability, sound of engine etc. ... It makes a real difference to have an impression of the handling (even for a short time!).

Se lo regale a mi esposa y le fascinó desde el día que se lo día lo empezó a utilizar y ya no se despegaba de ella ya no sabía que más hacer muy fácil de utilizar y con varias funciones y modelos para cocer hasta yo lo que utilizado la verdad lo recomiendo