Took up sewing late in life & bought an older used machine (different brand) from a friend but had trouble with bobbin casing, so I bought this machine for a fresh start. I chose a model on the lower end of the price range, but not the cheapest, because I want to enjoy sewing without frustration. I dont need alot of bells & whistles! Have had it for over a year & am happy with it. I mostly just use it for clothing alterations, repairs & hemming. But have made several items without any issues with material thickness differences, thread tension errors nor thread disasters! This machine has a good variety of stitch designs & is easy to thread & navigate. My only two fusses: The Auto Thread Feature is not easy to use. Needs some further engineering upgrades! I gave up trying to use it. AND The machine does not come with a Manual. C’Mon Singer!!! - How much could it possibly cost to respectively include the Manual? Overall, am happy with this machine.