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.

If this machine was under 100 pounds I might give it two stars. At this price range you'd be far better off with an industrial machine (see recommendations below).Right out of the box it was skipping stitches.Then all the issues with thread getting jammed.All the time.Issues.Rethreading.Taking out the bobbin.Setting it all up again.So much time wasted on this garbage machine.(And I know how to use machines. I know how to thread them etc. I repair my own machines including the industrial ones.)Then the bottom plate under the needle broke when the needle hit it (which will happen once in a while if you're using thick materials). This plate is made of very cheap soft metal. I bought that part again, replaced it, and that broke too.The plastic part around the bobbin is very poorly designed and if you ever need to clean under it you're almost guaranteed to make the machine unusable until you take it to a repair shop which will be a huge waste of money. (Hard to explain the exact issue in writing without showing the parts.)And there's a place where if thread gets stuck, there's no way to take it out. You just need to buy that part and replace it.And there's no simple way to keep this machine properly lubricated unless you know how to fully disassemble the case - which is very time consuming.The motor is very loud and not actually that strong. Maybe strong enough for most uses but not all.And 1100 stitches per minute isn't very fast. Most cheap industrial machines will do 3500.The speed control on the pedal is very poor and hard to control. It's kinda usable but not great and it's just far too fast for so many things where you want to go slow.And the cable for the pedal is too short. If you want to have the cable go behind the desk and then back towards your foot - it can't.Anyone wanting a heavy duty machine should just look into industrial machines. It's a world of difference. Not just for the stitch speed but for the reliability, power and speed of workflow. And they last for decades so it'll probably retain so much of it's original value that you can just sell it when you're done or ready to upgrade.In comparison this Singer will pretty much destroy itself and turn into landfill. Money down the drain.You can get a used industrial machine from 30 pounds including desk.Or a fully serviced used one from 120 including desk.Many Singer industrials available if you're into that brand specifically. Their home machines are trash but industrials tend to be much more reliable.Siruba industrial machines from 260 with desk. I've been using a more expensive Siruba model for 3 years and I love it.You can get a brand new industrial Jack machine on eBay for 400 including desk. That's 160 pounds more than this landfill plastic Singer.Jack or Siruba are probably the cheapest new industrials you'll find with a direct drive motor (that means no belt and more control and most models will also stop perfectly with the needle in the position you want it - up or down - which is an incredible time saver).Or there's Juki machines from 450. Very well respected Japanese brand but not direct drive at this price as this is their most basic model. Still a great deal compared to any plastic junk machine.560 gets you a Jack industrial zigzag machine with direct drive and desk.Or a Tysew brand machine with walking foot for 600. Also direct drive with desk.Jack walking foot direct drive with desk for 660.And if you need to sew a lot then choose a model with automatic foot lifter and automatic thread cutter. It allows you to speed through your sewing work and it's a ton of fun to use too.And a walking foot honestly is gonna be worth it for a lot of people to prevent layers from slipping. Jack H5 is both automatic with a walking foot for 950 shipped. Though any industrial will be worlds better than the plastic junk so don't feel that you need to spend this much to start.I hope that helps save you from this junk and years of awful sewing experiences.Note: I have no connection to any sewing manufacturer. This is all my own opinion.