Sewing Machine, White

I hesitated to purchase this for several reasons, one not being able to find out much info on it, another unsure of warrantee or other maint. processes. I went ahead and bought it, learning a lot about Amazon in the process. While I have purchased off and on for years, nothing big, and this was a big unknown. I am SO glad I took a chance, this machine is Awesome! It works beautifully, and even my partner came in to comment, repeatedly, when I first started using it, how solid and smooth it sounded. It is miles ahead of the previous machines I have had. I love it!I also learned that Amazon does NOT price match in any form; so the day that it was delivered, I went on Amazon to see if I could find out anything else about it, and found the price had dropped. Long story short, talked to two reps, one in purchasing, very nice to deal with, my only option to get the difference in price was to ship it back to Amazon and order another at the discounted price. Well, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" and considering how very nice this machine is, I was not willing to do that, so while I did pay more than the price was temporarily, I still paid a fabulous price...and found out that the warrantee IS valid here in US, as sold through and fulfilled by Amazon.I wanted some extra feet and such, my research showed that this model of Necchi uses the standard Brother low shank, as well as a typical transparent Brother bobbin, or one that works with some Janome--since the machine is made in the Janome manufacturing plants, it shares many features that a Janome does. I found the same machine as sold in the UK, under the name Janome DKS 100, and was able to see my machine on video online in unboxing and use, which helped a lot. And yes, the US version IS for the US, the right plugs, the right electrical power use, etc. Overall, a wonderful machine, and while I had heard of Necchi 40 years ago, since a friend of the family had an old one for re-upholstery, it was nearly impossible to find info of them in use here. So, I have written this in case you are thinking about this machine and can't find other info or reviews. The one I received is truly a wonderful machine. I have used it for several art quilts as well as a wall hanging and a pair of curtains I dyed the fabric for, all wonderfully easy to work on this little gem.

So far this is the best machine I have ever owned, and I’ve owned several. I upgraded from Brother and this machine is far superior in many ways. Upon setting it up, at first I had problems with thread tension and had to do a lot of trials to find the right mix of needle, thread, tension and stitch length, but once I found the magic combination, it has been sewing a perfect seam, very neat and flawless. Both my Brother machines had uneven stitches and the tension wheels seemed to have no effect on the outcome at all. I had to settle for almost OK lines. So the NEcchi almost out of the box beat the Brother. I also like the easy button controls for stop/start, needle up/down, lock stitch and reverse. It comes with an extension table, which saves you $50 right there. As a quilter, I also appreciate the magnifying glass attachments and the speed control wheel. The needle threader is very easy to use and works every time. (One of my Brother machines, a Project Runway special editions, has an ineffective threader that takes more time than just doing it). I am somewhat worried about how I will get this serviced if the electrical components have trouble, but the manufacturers warrentee that came in the box is good for 25 years for manufacturing defects and for 5 years on electrical. I also found an authorized dealer nearby. I chose Necchi because of it long-standing tradition of being reliable, high quality and durable machines. so far I have not been disappointed.

A few things to know before you read my review: I am upgrading myself from a Brother CS6000i machine, which has a lot of rave reviews on Amazon. I love my Brother machine, but I think it's about time for me to get something which suits my needs as a sewer (as opposed to a quilter). I would say I am an intermediate sewer.I have a long list of things that I want which the Brother machine couldn't provide:1) Presser foot lifter!! (So nice to have, IMHO - Especially when I am dealing with very thick materials)2) Presser foot pressure adjustment!! (super useful when dealing with light weight or stretchy materials)3) Narrower arm for tailoring sleeves!! (12" circumference Brother vs 11" Necchi)4) Auto thread cutter5) Auto lock stitches6) Optical magnifiers - three magnifications7) Much brighter LED lights!!8) More than 2 needle positions!!9) Needle threader is easier to useAlso, it's a plus that my Brothers feet and bobbins will fit this machine.Is it worth the premium? It's a yes to me because I am so sick of getting frustrated when my Brother couldn't do certain things well. To have everything on the aforementioned list, this Necchi fits the bill at a very reasonable price ($500-600 as of Dec 2019, or you can try the EX60, which offers similar features at a lower price). The only con is the power cord is only 6 ft long, which is a tad short for my needs, so I got an extension cord.So far this machine has been performing within expectations. I'll update when I get frustrated by this machine :)