I love the automatic threading feature of the 7442 for those over-40 eyes but miss the Drop & Sew bobbin feature my grandmother had (”Drop In” bobbin is NOT the same thing, very misleading). The new machine is much easier to thread than hers ~ which is good since you have to do it every time you wind a bobbin or change thread colors. (My inherited machine from grandmother was stuck on straight stitches only and used VERY infrequently for minor repairs too big to be done by hand)

Although I originally had my heart set on an entry-level Brother embroidery machine, after talking with a number of experienced sewers and reading the three pages in that on-line manual referring to how to set and adjust tensions, I decided to get a beginner machine with automatic tension. I’ve not been disappointed there since the 7442 has gone from two to thru 10 (yes, ten) layers of denim without hesitating or growling.

I am learning tote/purse making and quilting so am working with multiple layers of material, batting and fusible fleece. The foot lever only holds in the first position and does not go high enough for some of the topstitching I’ve wanted to do. When the foot lever has to be held up with right hand while trying to work thick materials under the needle with the left, it’s very difficult for a right-hander.

Thirty stitches should have been enough but I find I am doing a lot of decorative finishes and topstitching so in hindsight I should have looked into more stitches.

So yes, it’s a great entry level, beginner, basic or back-up machine but I may be one of those unfortunate enough to out-grow it quickly.

I will be buying a new machine soon and it definitely won’t be a Singer. Bernina here I come!

Don’s wife…..

Very pleased with this purchase.

I would recommend this sewing machine!

So, unwillingly to spend almost half the cost of the machine on repair I set out to repair it myself and found the timing of the machine was way off. We couldn’t figure out how this could have happened since the machine once worked, but adjusting the timing so the shuttle hook would once again arrive at the needle at the right time fixed the issues.

I’m giving the machine a 3 because with the timing adjusted it’s been working well again, but I’m concerned that the machine may break down again and require frequently repair (which is either time consuming or expensive depending on whether you are willing and able to do the work yourself).

The machine is working very well to begin with and it came with a zipper foot, satin stitch foot, button hole foot and some other small accessories. I love this machine already but I have only had it for one day. I will encourage anyone to try it, the Singer brands are usually very reliable.

There are a few bad features. The machine is not very responsive to the presser foot. I’m used to a machine stopping and starting directly with the presser foot. This machine goes a few stitches after the pressure is completely off the foot. And the needle always returns to the up position, so every time you need to turn a corner or do something where the needle must be down, you have to manually crank it a half stitch. The ‘reverse’ button is in a awkward place and there is a really annoying ‘needle threader’ that hangs directly to the right of the needle. This can’t be removed or moved off to the side, so it just hangs in your way. It would have been a much better design to just include a cheap little threader in the storage box for the people who can’t thread a needle by hand.

I’d heard bad things about performance of the new Singers, which isn’t surprising as the company got sold, manufactury was outsourced to China and god only knows who designed the dreadful thing. But I didn’t dream it would be THIS bad.

My biggest complaint is that it’s so tetchy. It’s almost impossible to vary anything without having it go on strike. It wants to be on automatic, and it wants the trhead length and tension set just so. It doesn’t like it when I vary the top tension to make the bobbin thread tighter so I can baste or gather. If the thread or fabric gets bollixed up in the bobbin compartment you have to have a screwdriver to remove the needle plate and bobbin case. Neither of the above problems is addressed in its completely inadequate guide, which gives, in three languages, only the sketchiest of instructions and doesn’t in any way address the real-world problems of people who sew. And to think I only wanted it so I could make automatic buttonholes.

The old Singer, a 401, is the last Singer all metal machine. It’s easy to use, easy to clean when the thread or fabric gets balled up in the bobbin compartment, easy to manipulate, flexible and forgiving. The bobbin case and the needle plate come out easily so one can get into the bobbin compartment. The guide is a delight. If you can find a 401, buy it immediately. It’s a workhorse, and unlike modern electronic machines that are as trustworthy as the old 401, is not likely to cost you upwards of $2000.

Things I really like about the sewing machine is the ease of which you can get the machine ready to go, and the automatic needle threader. (I hate threading needles).

Now for the problems with the machine:

The light by the needle is not nearly as bright as my old singer sewing machine. Almost to the point of saying the light is worthless.

The cloth guides are only around the needle area. since the bobbin cover is clear plastic (instead of metal like the old days) I find guiding the cloth to be more of a task. Of course the task is not impossible, but for a beginner, it is slightly annoying.

The sewing machine is extremely light weight. I do not except to get years of service out of this machine.

And I wish there would have been some better instructions included with the unit.

Like most electronic machines, this one is pretty easy to use. Pick your stitch with just a few presses of a button, then you’re ready to sew. Of course, you can modify your stitch length and width by sliding a lever or two, but it is nice to have everything set to optimum length and width automatically. The machine comes with a good number of stitches, although I honestly don’t stray very far from the regular old zig-zag and straight stitches. I will say that the overlock stitch looks absolutely identical to the ones created by a professional serger.

The threading system is pretty nice, too. While it’s not quite as easy as the one on the Singer Curvy (where all you need to do is pull the thread through a slot and press a lever) I’m used to the complicated ins and outs of my old machine, so anything is a huge improvement. Singer calls it their “six second threading system” and, so far, I’ve found that claim holds up. The drop-in bobbin is very handy, especially for someone like me, who is used to fussing with an old-school side-loading bobbin. I guess it would be nice to have a bobbin that didn’t need to be drawn up (as seen in the Curvy and several newer machines) but it’s not exactly like pulling teeth with this machine. The presser foot lifts up enough so that you can fit your fingers underneath and grab the little “loop” that the bobbin thread makes, so now I don’t have to struggle with it at all.

One small gripe I have with the machine is that the needle always ends in the up position. I know this is for easy withdrawal of materials, but it would be nice to have the option for the needle to end in the down position, if one so chooses. I do a lot of applique work that requires pivoting around tight corners, so it would be nice to have this option. However, I’ve just learned to release the foot pedal a bit early and then hand-crank the machine into the next stitch, leaving it in the down position so I can pivot smoothly.

I think you’ll also find that the feeding system is pretty reliable. The machine has a six-piece feed system that has been very nice so far. There’s no feature to drop the feed dogs, but the included darning plate should suffice. The presser foot is pretty good at accommodating materials of various thicknesses without having to manually readjust the height (as in older machines). Finally, the little light is a nice, bright LED that remains blessedly cool no matter how long you sew.

Overall, it’s just a really nice machine for the price. If you’re interested in upgrading to something with all the bells and whistles, I suppose that the Curvy would be a better option, but if you want something that works well, is easy to use, and nicely priced, try this one out.

It is lightweight so I can easily take it anywhere I want to sew.