First, let me say, I LOVE this machine. Yes, it is plastic-y, yes, you have to use the bobbins made FOR the machine, & Yes, you must read through a few directions here & there in order to use some of the features ~ HOWEVER ~ you can also pull this right out of the box, wind a bobbin, thread it up, & sew a seam. It's extremely intuitive. VERY easy to figure out. I did have to look at the instructions for the buttonhole feature, however, once done, WOW, SOOOO EASY! And turns a perfect buttonhole every time! One of the nice features on this machine is that for whatever stitch you may choose to use, the little LED screen tells you exactly which foot to use. Moreover, you can look up in the book guide if you are unsure what a particular stitch is used for. I was able to make a VERY nice heirloom blessing bubble suit for my grandson with this machine, complete with entredeaux, pin tucks, machine embroidery, & even his initials & birthdate machine embroidered on the back leg. Tensions were perfect EVERY time, switching threads & bobbins was a breeze, & the embroideries turned out so nice & even. I would totally recommend this model over other comparable machines. Another great feature is the built in flip chart. Well, say you, that doesn't sound like too big of a deal. BUT< say I, Oh yes it is, it gives you instant visual access to all of the stitches & allows your imagination to get working. While someone else might still be thumbing through their handbook, trying to figure out what to use, I can just look at the chart right on the machine, with the numbers & buttons handy in a second. I LOVE that feature! Another nifty thing ~ the threading legend is numbered right on the machine, for both the bobbin & the thread. Why does that matter? Because I deal with a LOT of different machines, & it is just so nice to have it right there, permanently on the machine, you can never forget how to do it, all you have to do is look at the top. Again, VERY intuitive & user friendly! I have been sewing for 30+ years, & have sewn on everything from a foot cranked "New Home" treadle, a vintage necchi, several ancient Japanese models from the 50's & 60's, a few singers mixed in there, right on up to the cheapest starter Brother available, to some very expensive ($3 & $4K) models (I did not own the spendy ones), & I have to say, this Brother HC1850 is my favorite. I just love it. It is true that the old treadle is really the only machine I have ever found that perfectly mimics hand-stitching on quilts, & it is also true that I loved the heavy metal quality &, smooth sewing on the necchi, however, when you stack all of the features of this HC1850 up, it just wins every time. I can finish a project faster & with less headache on this machine, simply because of the many awesome little details. Flip- chart, automatic threader ( which, by the way, works perfectly if you understand that there is a tiny hook in between the two larger side wings that pulls the thread through the needle eye; you must simply catch it & it works perfectly every time!) drop-in bobbin, visible bobbin, numbered threading system ON machine, heirloom stitches, perfect buttonholes EVERY time ( you don't even have to look, it just whips it out, SO awesome!), LED screen tells you which foot to use, along with typical correct tension & stitch length, last stitch or two slows down to a smooth stop, tons of parts & pieces come in the included kit, and last, but certainly not least ~ the price!!!!! I am still a little geeked out that I got this from Amazon for only $199, & free shipping!!!!! Can I just shout that last part out! ;-D Fantastic value for the money ~ I researched machines for months prior to purchasing this machine ( it was to be my Christmas gift, & my husband gave me $600 for a new machine) & this is the one that just had all of the features for such a fantastic price. The awesome price left more than enough to get a huge lot of the bobbins for it, a few new spools of thread, and QUITE a bit of fabric. And ladies, you KNOW that although the stash may teeter from being piled a bit too high, it is with great anticipation that you walk into that fabric store, eyeballing this or that for your latest project ~ therefore, money saved on the price of the machine is money gained in the acquisition of new & more fabric! ;-D ~ Conclusion ~ well worth the price, lots of features, & easy to use!
