Rating  - computer nightmare
This was my third machine and was hopeful that it would be the best. Now that I have been using it for less than a year it has started jamming and caused the computer to malfunction. I had no trouble getting customer service only to find out that they have no repair places around to go to for warrenty work. They want you to pay all the postage and mail it to them in NY and cannot tell you how long the machine will be there, but did stress a month at least. They said it would be spendy because of the weight so I went to a local shop and the estimate to reset the computer is $125. I about fell over and am so disappointed in the lack of service you get. If it happens again its in the trash!
Rating  - Excellent - Delivers tremendous value vs More well know names like Brother & Singer etc.
Updated: 09-27-06
Written: 07-11-06,
Purchased: 04-11-06
Vendor: Target, Mira Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA
Paid: 299.99 + tx
Time Used: 5 months +
My experience: intermediate.
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Updated comments: It's Sept 2006 and I well past the excitment of buying this machine. However, when I sit down with a sewing project the machine works reliably and can be taken as a given. I'm completly satisfied.
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The Longest Yard: This is the longest review I have ever written. Why? Because I did so much research when buying my 2nd sewing machine and I often longed for a detailed review by someone that had used the product for at least several months. Feel free to skim it or print it out.
Preface / Sewing Machine Myths:
I have come to believe by working on really old machines and an industrial cast-iron single stitch brother and newer machines that all machines with in a given class/price level are basically all the same and copies of each other. All mid priced machines today have auto assist threaders and they are all basically the same design etc. Sears Kenmore farms out it's machines to different manufactures so quality varies a lot from year to year. Today's' machines for better or worse aren't your "15 year old Kenmore".
Machines are very competitive from $150 to $300. But after $300 I wonder what you are paying for. There is where little nuances come into play which may matter to very advanced sewers. I did a lot of research before buying this machine.
TIP: Read the manual and work slowly in short sessions. You don't need to try every type of custom stitch. I still have only used 3 of the included feet. You don't buy and encyclopedia and expect to read every page of every book. You read the parts that cover what is relevant to your current needs. I recommend leaning the basics well then moving on to the more advanced stitches. This machine does it all so it will be time well spent. Example: I turned the foot pedal speed all the way down. Another day I wound a bobbin and wondered whey the machine was soooo slow. Then I realized I need to slide the speed limiter to full speed. I made various little errors like this and blamed the machine at first. Every issue was solved with patients and time. I was scared when I saw this machine the first time and thought I would never buy something so complicated but later I gave it a chance and I was glad that I did.
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PROS:
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Every machine is factory tested and actually comes with several samples under the presser foot with thread comming out of the machine so you can see that your machine made the stitching! Samples include: 8 layers of denim, a paper thin material, etc. This simulates the tests a sewer would perform in a sewing shop to test various models.
Works so well you will stop dreaming about really high end machines costing thousands of dollars like Pfaff, Berina, Viking, White, etc. Machine does not get in your way. After getting over the initial excitement for the first month and a half and comparing it to the singer that I got a target for $90 that was purely a learning and stepping stone machine I began to look at the machine more objectively and critically .... read on.
Weight: Even though it's computerized the machine is much heavier than the brother or singer equivalents. It is probably the heaviest consumer machine I have picked up. This results in a solid machine that is completely vibration free.
Ultra quite (at lower speeds) and moderately noisy at full speed. LED never needs replacing and runs cool and lights well. Auto Assist needle threader works fine but you must learn to work around its less than optimal design. Extremely consistent in very heavy denim all the way to super fine linens or delicate spandex etc. Never jams (I've had only one jam in 3 months and it was my fault). Never misses a stitch (except once on three months) that was my fault I was using a #14 needle with the wrong bobbin tension. Once I stepped down to a #11 and corrected the lower thread tension no problem. I said: "cool now I now what it's like to miss stitches".
Computer Screen & Buttons: Best combination I have seen. Very intuitive once you learn to work the computerized vs mechanical way. All the common stitches are accessible with a one touch on buttons 1 thru 10. And all the fancy patterns you scroll to. The large display screen is nicely back lit and very easy to read. The left offset for hemming etc is awesome because you can just push a button and move one digital "click" to the right until it is all the way to the right. Stitch width is very easy to change and you go by the numbers now not trial and error. Just punch in 3.0mm width and away you go.
Note: when ever you turn off the machine it returns all settings to default. One reviewer said the machine lost the pattern. They probably turned it off.
Accessory Feet: Everything under the sun. Every kind of food including the "walking foot" or even feed foot - which I have not tested yet. I think it comes with like 10 feet? More than any other machine I have seen on the market.
Bobbins: works perfectly with Class 15 or Class 66 bobbins. The machine is totally indifferent as far as I can tell. Also, bobbin tension can be adjusted easily without taking anything off except the u-shaped free-arm thing.
Teeth: real nice to adjust the presser foot tension. Why use more pressure than you have to on fine fabrics?
Free Motion: I dropped the teeth in back and changed the foot and made wonderful sideways stitches.
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CONS:
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** WARNING** Open boxes / returned used machines: The first machine I got was clearly used for at least a month or so. The person attempted to neatly box the machine up but I didn't trust it. Target and other stores 90 day return policy causes some things to go back on the shelf that really should be sent back to the factory. If you buy a machine and it has evidence of consumer use it may be damaged and you may end up not liking an otherwise excellent machine. Remember, every machine is factory tested so there will be the technicians fingerprints etc on the machine.
Some people write all kinds of crazy things about all machines including this one. I think they just don't know what they are doing. I'm a straight-man and I repair my car and the wife's car and my motorcycle and the tractors on the farm I grew up on. I learned a long time ago to work with machines not against them. Treat it with care and respect. This machine is more sophisticated then a mechanical machine but when you really go computerized in sewing you will never want to go back to the world mechanical or useless at home "industrial" machines for production sewing. Can you handle 5000+ stitches a minute? That's almost 10 stitches a second.
Needle threader works much better/smoother due to a better design on Brother & Kenmore sewing machines that I tested.
Some difficulty maintaining a neat stitch when using the super thick "jeans" thread on really thick and hardened (factory stitched hems)multiple layers of jeans. Next time you hear someone claim their machine sews anything or 8 layers of jeans - give then some jeans thread it's 50% thicker than heavy duty upholstery thread - ask them how neat the stitch is on the bottom side going through 6 dense layers on a hem.
Plastic bobbin door could be designed a little better.
Bobbin winding is good but not perfect. Sometimes the bobbin doesn't wind evenly but machine still sews fine.
Threading: not that difficult but I miss threaded once and also you need to play with raising and lowing a bit to get around the medal thing that moves up and down. It's not a big deal but threading carefully and correctly does take getting use to. I think the Brother does a better job.
Buttons: Backstitch and locking stitch etc. The buttons are offset from the label. This confused me. I thought the machine wasn't working because it wouldn't backstitch. I was pressing the wrong button. Error #2 I had to hold it in not push it once like the locking stitch function.
Customer Service: Haven't tested it. It probably isn't that good. Companies produce tons of ever changing models and that makes getting correct parts more difficult.
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Buying advice:
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Better than Brother: If you need to save money buy the one for $200 at evil W-Mart, but this is a heavier more solidly made machine weighing nearly twice as much.
Better than Singer: Singer, Kenmore and Brother control about 70% of the market. Euro-Pro offers more to stay competitive. Singer let me down with my first machine for $90. It worked but they make it so you have to buy another machine once you get over the basics. Basic jeans hemming using the super-thick "Jeans" thread is very frustrating.
You can buy this machine with confidence. I bought mine at Target for $300 and I love the machine. I do lots of clothing alteration for myself and my wife - she's vertically challenged at 4'11" and I hem all her Lucky brand jeans with the super thick Jeans thread. At $100 pair! I can't afford to make mistakes.
Ebay Options: Or... you can buy a Janome Memory Craft 9000 used on ebay for $800 + or a Brother Pacesetter PC- 6000 Computerized Sewing Machine Item number: 270004880928 with a starting price of $450 and buy it now of $550! Or this machine new with 3 months to test it out (from Target) for $300.
Rating  - NEW TO SEWING
I am NOT a sewer mainly fixing rips/tears, take in the inseam a bit, I had a SINGER given to me by a friend YEARS AGO. It started NOT sewing like it use to so I WAS going to buy a BROTHER at OVERSTOCK.COM, but went to a LOCAL Target store instead and seen the SHARK INTELLI-SEW, so I thought well what the hec, I can make curtains, etc., do monograms. Well I GUESS I NEED some type of hoop for that, because when I tried to make an "L" it SO DID NOT come out right, I know part of the problem is me, but I think the instructions for the settings & the hoop could have been a little better, easier for a BEGINNER like myself to understand. Other than that once I FIGURED OUT the AUTO NEEDLE THREADER it worked great. I know that with time & practice I will learn ALOT MORE with this machine. I am satified with my purchase.
Rating - For the price it can't be beat
I bought this machine from Target last year. I was immediately thrilled with all the stitches and possibilities. I tried all of the stitches to see what they looked like and how well they looked.When they needed some tweaking I made the adjustment mentioned in the book. I've had no problem with the bobbin area. I do feel like the bobbin fill shuts off a little to early but it fills more if I hold the lever. This is my third sewing machine and the one with the most bells and whistles. It came with lots of feet and instructions for use.I've not had any problems with my machine, other than those listed. I feel bad for those who haven't been so lucky. Of my three machines, the White, Singer and Euro-pro, I use this one most often.UPDATE..
This is now April of 2006. My machine is still working fabulously! I couldn't figure out how to make the start/stop button actually work, since the manual was vague. I saw another review which told me to unplug (small plug)the foot pedal. It works great now. Since I've had no trouble with it, I think the bobbin problems others mentioned might be the thread. All in all this machine is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Rating - great machine
I bought this machine in February and I love it. It has been great and the stitches are perfect. With all the different stitches and all the presser feet that come with it this is been a great deal. I would highly recommend this machine. Some of the decorative stitches were not perfect but if you read the manual it has a adjuster to adjust them til they are great. I have had alot of fun with mine and everyone has told me how great my items are and professional they are.
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