Electronic Sewing Machines

Electronic machines help eliminate guesswork

Electronic sewing machines are preferred in reviews over mechanical machines. Like mechanical models, electronic sewing machines still use a single motor along with cams and levers to power the needle, but electronic features make it easier to precisely control settings. Stitches are more consistent, and adjustments are easier since they require pushing buttons instead of fiddling with knobs. These sewing machines have many more convenience features than mechanical machines. Prices for entry-level electronic machines have dropped so much that they are often not much more than mechanical sewing machines.

The Brother CS6000i (*Est. $190) doesn't cost much more than an inexpensive Brother or Singer sewing machine, but it has a lot more features. It has a one-step buttonhole feature, but instead of one style of buttonhole, you can choose from seven styles, including an eyelet or a keyhole-style buttonhole. Stitch settings are displayed on a small LCD screen, and buttons (instead of dials) allow you to change stitch length, width and stitch type.

The Brother CS6000i has 60 stitches built-in, and in addition to standard presser feet, it includes a basic walking foot -- a walking-foot attachment is helpful for sewing several layers at once, such as in quilt-making. User reviews are almost universally good. Natalie Zee Drieu of Craft magazine likes the Brother CS6000i, saying, "This little machine packs the punch." The Brother CS6000i earns 4.5 out of five stars in nearly 200 reviews at Amazon.com, one of the best overall ratings of sewing machines available there. At Walmart.com, it receives close to 400 comments and similar great scores. It's the same story at Joann.com, where the Brother CS6000i receives almost 50 glowing endorsements.

The Singer 7442 (*Est. $200) doesn't have a display, but does have electronically controlled stitches. The Singer machine gets good reviews at Amazon.com, and it has a one-step buttonhole in two styles (wider for heavier buttons or narrow for lighter buttons), plus a free-arm table that's helpful for stitching narrow sleeves. There are about 30 stitches, including a bunch of decorative stitches for adding borders, and a drop-in bobbin. It comes with five presser feet, and sliders for selecting stitch width and needle position. However, it costs more than the Brother sewing machine and doesn't have as many stitch options.

The Singer 7462 Touch & Sew (*Est. $200) is almost identical to the Singer 7442, which appears to have limited availability now. The features are very similar, with handy extras like a stitch-lock tie-off, helpful for sewing darts. A two-height pressure-foot lift means it will be easier to fit thick fabrics like denim under the foot. The stitch width is adjustable all the way out to 7 mm -- helpful if you like to sew wide decorative stitches. On the downside, you only get two buttonhole styles instead of the seven that come with the Brother machine.

The Kenmore 16231 (*Est. $250) has a one-step buttonhole function similar to that of the Brother XL-2600i. This Kenmore sewing machine has a drop-in bobbin and unique sliders to set stitch length and width. There are 31 stitches and a speed control as well as adjustable presser-foot pressure. Feedback from owners is very positive, with this model earning 4.5 out of five stars in more than 50 reviews at Sears.com. But this machine is more expensive than the Brother CS6000i, and the Kenmore machine has just one buttonhole style. Still owners do seem very happy with it.