Pros:

Auto tension! I love it. It works every time.

Drop in bobbin! I will never go back.

Easy to select stitches. (however,do read the manual before doing

twin needle work!)

Lots of choices for embellishing items with embroidery.

So far, no issues and I’ve sewn heavy and light fabrics.

Cons:

The autothreader takes more work than doing it myself.

You will need another light source if you like to sew at night.

I don’t like that to reverse stitch I have to hold the button at

the same time I guide my fabric. Couldn’t they just let me press

the button, then press the button again when I’m done with

reverse? (That’s not novice friendly!)

A bit heavy to carry. I’m tough, but carrying it for more than a

short walk will get to you. Get a rollerboard carrier and skip

the plastic case.

For the price you can’t go wrong with this machine.

1. The “Confidence” does not jump up and down on the table, like the “simple”.

2. The bobbin has given me ZERO problems when it comes to threading and clean sewing. No more messed up or broken bobbin thread!

3. The Auto tension has performed perfectly so far.

4. The “Confidence” is less noisy than the “simple”.

5. Overall, the “Confidence” flows smoothly. The electronic features take some time to get used to; but having so many stitches to choose from makes sewing all the more fun.

As previously noted, I am a complete novice. But to be able to quickly thread and start sewing, and come out with a quality garment is a tribute to the user friendly design of the “Confidence”. The instruction manual is sufficient in its definitions, descriptions, and photos … enough to make sense. The included accessories with the “Confidence” are valuable.

With so many sewing machines on the market, it becomes overwhelming to know which machine to choose. I based my decision largely on consumer reviews (as well as a recommendation from several staff members at a retail store). As of now, I couldn’t be happier with my decision.

NOTES:

As another reviewer notes, the machine is a bit heavy to carry around. As for the backstitch button, I have not found it to be a great problem that the backstitch button must continually be pressed. The “simple’s” backstitch button was a MAJOR pain, and never really worked right. The “confidence” backstitch button is fairly pain free to use.

Also, it is noted that Class 15J bobbins must be used. I have used Class 15 with no problems; but have since decided (per further recommendation) to only use Class 15J bobbins. Can’t find these everywhere. I found them at several online retailers, as well as Ebay and Singerco.

I really believe the average sewer will be very pleased with the Singer Confidence 7470. The price is not as high as quality machines, and the features are amazing.

Have fun sewing!

Richard

4/1/09 -

I cleaned out the bobbin area, removed any threads, and rethreaded top and bottom and it now works like a charm. I’ve had to do this twice so far, so I’m not sure if it is something that I am doing wrong. It works great now. I decided to keep it.

6/23/09 -

I have sewn three quilts so far, and have only had one minor jamming problem. The problem was putting the bobbin in upside down. I flipped it right side up and that solved the problem. I love all the different stitches, but wish the alphabet feature had different font sizes. The size that comes with the machines is very small about 1/4 inch. I have a problem adding thread to the bobbin. The machine doesn’t automatically add the thread very evenly, and I have to manually move the thread up and down the bobbin to keep the thread from bunching up in one area, otherwise I like this machine.

8/5/09

I was finally able to change the rating from two stars to four stars. Just waiting for Amazon to update the change.

Pros:

-I love the drop-in bobbin. I don’t even mind having to adjust the thread myself while it’s winding, either (as another reviewer pointed out). It’s just so much easier than on my old machine.

-It handles all fabrics, thick and thin. Just make sure you’re using the right needle (of course)!

-The buttonholer and button sewer are marvellous – soooo easy! And I used to *hate* sewing buttonholes. Lowering and raising the feed dog is a snap, too. Very convenient instead of having to use a special plate.

-Despite that this isn’t an “embroidery” machine, the stitches it does are very lovely, practical, and it doesn’t have so many fancy stitches that I’ll never use. I didn’t buy this to be an embroidery machine, but the decorative stitches it has are very nice.

-The see-through bobbin plate is very handy.

-The blind stitch works wonderfully! My old machine would only do a reverse blind stitch. This simply wouldn’t work with the blind hem foot I had for that machine. Hemming is super easy now.

-If all the little prongs on the automatic needle threader are in just the right spot, it works like a charm. (see cons)

Cons:

-If all the little prongs on the automatic neeled threader are NOT in just the right spot, it won’t work at all. The center of the three prongs is the one that hooks the thread. It must line up just so, so that it goes into the hole on the needle. Once it’s through the needle hole, hook the thread, and pop it through. I had to manually bend mine a little bit to get it in the right spot.

-I’ve started making my first quilt. I know this isn’t the best quilting machine out there, but I somewhat expected better results. I bought the correct walking foot for the machine, but it just doesn’t feed the material while I’m quilting. I have to manually pull the quilt through. This is frustrating, and I can’t quilt as accurately as I’d like. Perhaps I’m just doing something wrong here, but it’s like there’s not enough pressure being exerted by the walking foot to make the quilt advance through the machine.

-The rolled hem foot isn’t all that great, either. It’s easier (seriously) to just press and pin a narrow hem myself. And even that’s a great challenge – but easier than the rolled hem foot.

Overall, this is a great machine that I’ve already used on dozens of projects (clothes to curtains), and I plan to keep it around for a long time.

I am very pleased with the Singer Confidence, especially the price for the functions you get.

2 things I totally enjoy: 1)the automatic needle threader is wonderful! The trick is to make sure you start out with the needle in the highest position, and just follow the pictures in the manual. 2) the auto thread tension works! The machine does adjust itself to the fabric. Although it’s still very important that the correct needle size is used. For just these 2 things, I find it worth the money.

PS- The embroidery is small (alphabet, a dog, heart, etc) and I understand that this is an entry level machine for embroidering. You only get a taste of it. This is not a serious embroidering machine.