Reliable Barracuda 200ZW Zig-Zag Sewing Machine, 120V, 800 Stitches Per Minute, Heavy- Duty Metal Construction, Up to 4 Stitches Per Inch, Built-In Speed Reducer, Reverse Lever Mechanism

As reviewed the machine needs oil before any sewing. Use a good quality oil right away, then oil it again. until the drippings are clean of any black material. then thread the machine. runs slowly at first just as if breaking in a new motor. then oil again. this is either a good one or I broke it in gingerly. it will sew at a slow speed with accuracy. great buy and option to a $2K machine, I would build sails for off shore with this machine without a worry. Thanks.

So it was working just fine. I've been putting sewing for 8+ hours a day for the last week trying to get ready for a show. I work with duck canvas, which is not as heavy as the canvas this thing is rated for.The arm that moves the presser foot completely sheared in two. Completely. The foot is now stuck down. I have contacted the company and am waiting to hear back.*UPDATE* company fixed my machine and got it back quickly. Awesome. Except they forgot to put the foot pedal and power cord in with it so I have a 40lb paperweight. On top of that, I tried to get the sample out of the machine by hand cranking the flywheel, and the needle is not budging. At this point I just want to send it back and get a refund. I am beyond furious at this point. This is my livelihood and it keeps being anything but reliable

Other reviewers with negative reviews may have valid points however; I content that this machine is for the tinkerers out there. It seems that you may very well need to get into the mechanics of this machine and adjust, bend, align and or tweak to get it running top notch. If you understand that you may be purchasing a machine that may or may not require some adjustments you will not be disappointed once set up. I purchased a machine at a discount, which had been returned to Amazon for unknown reason and I quickly discovered what those reason may have been. Several critical components on the presser foot lift were bent and or out of alignment, the tension release arm was haphazardly aligned, and several critical screws were loose. Once you understand how the machine works, all are easily corrected for the mechanically inclined. Although I have not purchased it yet, I think adding the larger Cuda Crank will improve low speed stability which is currently OK but leaves some room for improvement.

Barracuda is poor quality and does meet expectations. Stitch lenght very hard to get exact especially after a reversing back tack. Motor to small machine will not operate at slow speeds. My opinion thumbs down

If you've ever had a bad relationship personal or business. When you then end up with a good relationship you wonder why you wasted time in the bad one. I learned to sew 40 years ago and have only sewed a little between then and now. I'm no seamster! But I have used a commercial machine at one job for hobby sewing and so I know what to expect. I decided since I like to sew my own outdoor gear that I'd splurge on this machine. I've got a heavy duty home sewing machine that I use as well but this thing is on a completely different level. This machine sews heavy canvas in multiple layers to nylon webbing straps like it's s hem on a handkerchief. Smooth, easy to use and power to spare. Like I said I haven't sewed much but using this was easy. You can control it to sew single stitches with a little practice and speed through the long stretches. I haven't used it for light materials yet but played with some thin nylon material as a test and it did great. Heavy canvas is where it will make you forget you're working with heavy canvas. It tolerates my mistakes and keeps going. It's forgiving enough for a novice sewer and yet when I'm doing well it makes me look like a pro. I'd love to see what an experienced seamster/seamstress could to with this! The walking foot makes the stitches come out so even I have the confidence to sew with contrasting thread to show off the stitching. I'll keep my Singer for light work and button holes but this is my go to sewing machine. My Singer is a good friend but I love this sewing machine. Where have you been all my life?

This machine sews fairly well but will not sew several layers of heavy material like most industrial machines will. Motor is a little under powered to do the heavy duty sewing. Better than a heavy duty machine but does not compare to industrial machines I have used in the past.

I love this machine. Glad I didn't go with the blue one out there. Picked up the Cuda wheel as well. If its fabric and will fit under the foot, it will punch through. I haven't had a need to use it on leather, but would not hesitate with the correct needle. I can't wait for canvas on my boat to fail so I can fix it. I've already done some repairs and it stitched everything as if it were thin cotton.

This machine has been nothing but a problem sinceI received it . I have time and money with project that could not be complete. This machine Jams more time than sewing.