Basic Sewing Machines

Mechanical sewing machines are fine for simple projects

The least expensive sewing machines are mechanical models. These are the simplest type of sewing machine in terms of build, and if your mother had a sewing machine, it was a mechanical machine. These have knobs and dials to adjust the stitch length and width; other adjustments, such as presser-foot pressure and thread tension, are also made manually.

Mechanical sewing machines make good starter models for beginners and are fine if you mainly want to do mending projects or make simple Halloween costumes for the kids. Interestingly, some owners praise mechanical sewing machines for what they can't do; many people don't want something fancy or expensive, and many don't need hundreds of stitch types or 15 types of buttonholes. Mainly what you're looking for in a basic sewing machine is good build quality -- in reviews, that translates to brand reputation. While the name Singer may spring to mind, reviewers say that inexpensive Singer sewing machines are now made in Asia, just like most other inexpensive Kenmore, Brother and White sewing machines, so contemporary Singer machines are no better than others in this respect.

The most thorough tests of sewing machines suggest mechanical models aren't quite as easy to use as pricier electronic machines, and reviewers note they sometimes take a lot of trial and error to get the thread tension right. They are missing helpful features found on electronic machines, such as a needle up/down feature, which allows you to raise or lower the needle with the push of a button instead of cranking a fly wheel. Electronic machines can also create dozens of identical buttonholes and allow you to make quick changes to the length and width of decorative stitches. They also offer hundreds of stitches compared to the dozen or so stitches you'll find on an inexpensive mechanical machine.

Even so, the basic features on mechanical sewing machines are enough for students, casual users or anyone else not wanting to spend $300 or more for an entry-level electronic sewing machine.

There are a couple of less expensive Brother mechanical machines that receive good owner ratings. These are sold in chain stores, and while you won't get free sewing lessons with them, they cost less. The Brother XL-2600i (*Est. $100) has 25 stitches and a one-step buttonhole -- an improvement over machines that make you perform all four buttonhole steps on your own. With the Brother's buttonhole attachment, you pop the button you want to use into the attachment, and the calculations are done for you -- you don't have to do any measuring or try to manually gauge the right buttonhole length. There's also a thread cutter, automatic needle threader and drop-in bobbin, along with six snap-on presser feet. Owners say the Brother is a good starter machine, but we did read a few complaints that it doesn't handle thick fabrics or jeans very well.

The Brother XL-2610 (*Est. $110) is almost identical to the XL-2600i, with one important exception: The buttonhole function requires four steps instead of just one. While user reviews are better for these two $100 sewing machines than for any other model in their price range, we think a one-step buttonhole is an important convenience feature. That's why we've included the Brother XL-2600i sewing machine in our Best Reviewed section. Both machines have a one-year warranty on parts and labor, with a 25-year warranty on the metal machine head.

Other mechanical sewing machines in this price range just don't do as well as the two Brother sewing machines above. The Singer 3116 (*Est. $100) doesn't have quite as many stitches -- 16 compared to 25 -- but the Singer sewing machine does have a one-step buttonhole. However, reviews at Joann.com aren't great. About half of the handful of reviews says owners had trouble with jams. Reviews on Amazon.com are also poor, with more complaints of bobbin jams.

Reviews for the Singer 2932 (*Est. $150) aren't much better. This sewing machine has a bigger range of 35 stitches, and Singer touts "fault tolerant bobbin winding," presumably to help prevent jams. And while reviews overall are better for this machine, we still read about some bobbin issues and jam-ups.

Perhaps the worst reviews go to the Singer PixiePlus Craft (*Est. $70), an inexpensive compact sewing machine intended for small projects. This machine has just four stitches plus reverse, and only one sewing machine foot. Notably, it can run on batteries in addition to electrical power. But reviews for this small machine are anything but pretty. Owners on Joann.com report that the bobbin won't pick up properly. We also found two dozen reviews for this small sewing machine on HSN.com, but the picture isn't any better there: more reports of bobbin problems.