Brother XL2600I Sew Advance Sew Affordable 25-Stitch Free-Arm Sewing Machine
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List Price: Our Price: $83.99 You Save: $66.00 (44%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $72.75 (click here) Category: Art and Craft Supply See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Brother XL2600I Sew Advance Sew Affordable 25-Stitch Free-Arm Sewing Machine
Customer Review: Basic Mechanical Sewing Machine with 25 stitch free-arm sewing
Summary: 4 Stars
This is your basic mechanical sewing machine. The picture they already show is what you get. It's light weight and easy to use. It comes with three all purpose needles plus all the extras they list. I purchased some heavy weight needles for jeans and had no problems sewing them. It has reverse stitching for locking in the stitch. (Though you do need to hold down the button it's not a problem).
If you just want a mechanical sewing machine that does the job and is affordable this is it. I use it for hemming; fixing; and sewing curtains and other tasks as they crop up. It has a stitch length dial that is pretty basic. Also a width dial that mostly positions the needle to the right; center; or left.
Now This machine's foot pedal is tender to the touch I work it in my socks so I can regulate the speed better. Good lighting also.
The only bad I would say about this machine is that the tension dial. It is picky beyond belief. It takes patience to find the right number or close to one for different sewing material. I just mark it off so I don't have to look for it again. Go right to my marks and I'm set to go. ( Took one star off because of this).
Now of course if your a professional seamstress or someone who sews a lot and is looking for perfect stitching you better off with the new computerized sewing machines. This sews like machines of the past which is no problem for me. Yes that means occasionally you get tangled in the bobbin area but it never effects my sewing as I'm done by then and just cut out the mess and continue. Price is good; plus I applied for amazon's credit card which made it approx. a $67 dollar purchase and you can't beat that.
Customer Review: Easy & versatile
Summary: 4 Stars
About me: I am an absolute beginner and my mother/granny did not sew. I am taking a sewing class and touched a sewing machine for the very first time there. (a 50-year old ELNA).
The only reason I am not giving this product a 5 star is because I have only used it for about 3 weeks so far and hence cannot vouch for its reliability long term.
Amazon delivered the machine in 3 days - very prompt service. The machine is easily portable and at the same time is not so light that it will trip over when working on an intensive project. Its modern and compact, and yet roomy enough to accommodate your fabric. While not overcrowded with features, it does come in with a handy set of features which will make your sewing experience simple and easy.
The manual was fairly good and I was able to set up the machine in about 20 minutes. Winding the bobbin and threading are very easy. Threading the bobbin is extremely simple (this model has the one-step bobbin threading). The storage compartment comes with about 3 types of presser feet, spare needles, spare bobbins and a tool.
There are 25 stitches - about 12 are decorative and the remaining are just various types of stitches. There is a needle thread guide which makes threading the needle very simple. The presser foot can just be snapped on and need not be screwed in.
The stitches are consistent and nice and machine is easy and efficient to work with. I would definitely recommend this for a beginner.
Customer Review: Only 1 speed - 60 mph
Summary: 1 Stars
This machine is probably great for simple purposes. I bought it to make a kite, which I thought was pretty simple. But it has two major flaws that make it totally worthless to me:
1) No way to sew slowly. It has a gas pedal of sorts. If you push it down 1/4th of the way, the machine makes a loud humming noise, but does not engage. Push it down half way and it hums angrily, but still doesn't engage. Push it down a fraction of a millimeter lower and WHAM it engages and yanks the fabric out of your hands faster than you can feed it, scrunching fabric up, and sewing all over the place. I had to do most of my sewing by cranking the manual wheel on the side so that it would go slowly enough to be useful.
2) no way to adjust lower thread tension. I had no idea I even cared about something as obscure as this, the lower tension is set at a value that should pretty much take care of things and you adjust the upper tension. But as the project wore on the lower tension got loser and loser until the sewing machine became useless. Lower tension that is too lose means lots of thread hanging loosely on the under side when you finish stitches - no matter how I set the upper tension.
So I don't recommend this sewing machine if you plan to sew anything with it. I'm sure it's great for general utility uses like fixing loose buttons and sewing extra pockets into your favorite pants or whatever.
Customer Review: Brother Service/Warranty is useless, but Amazon made it right.
Summary: 2 Stars
I purchased this machine in early January of 2008. It arrived promptly by Amazon, as usual. I used it for a couple of weeks and a little piece of the automatic threader broke off. It took me over a week, counting the Presiden't holiday to get through to the sewing warrantly department at Brother. My options were to go have it serviced (over 100 miles away) or get a box sent and picked up from UPS for service. The issue I have is that they do not replace the machine in the meantime. They also will not extend warranty time frame any longer.
I phoned Amazon and they immediately arranged to send a replacement. I have purchased from Amazon for years, this is the first item I've needed to return. They came through.
I have purchased from Brother: a monochrome screen word processor, a Brother laptop, 2 Brother laser printers, 1 Brother laser multifunction, 1 Brother fax machine and now this sewing machine. This is the only Brother item I have needed service on. They did not come through. Make sure a repair center is close before you buy this machine.
As for the functionality of the machine, it is great for simple sewing. Anything heavier I recommend an industrial quality machine. This one is light which contributes to the poor quality of the materials.
Customer Review: Pleasant Surprise!
Summary: 5 Stars
I did a lot of research before buying a machine. I had owned a Kenmore for 30+ years (never liked it much), was raised on Singers (my grandmother was a LGWU member and swore by her old cabinet machine). I'm no great shakes as a seamstress, but I like to do crafts and wanted something for quilting. The price was amazing and I opted for fast shipping because I'm an impatient cow. *G* I could have waited and gotten it shipped for free.
Ten minutes out of the box, I was winding a bobbin. Twenty and I was doing some practice stitching. The needle-threader is amazing! I doubt that I'll ever use half the 25 stitches but it's great to know that I have them! Easist thing in the world to adjust the tension for the upper thread.
So far, I love it. And I'll try to stay on top of it so I can report on how it holds up.
Six months later: I'm just finishing up four elaborate Ottoman Ren-Faire costumes, complete with millinery and this machine has been SUCH a trooper! It managed to sew through layers of material and heavy upholstery bullion fringe and not break a needle. I made hats, turbans, used a bunch of the embroidering stitches---they were very pretty! Throughout all of it, the machine has been amazing. This is a great purchase!