Brother HC1850 Sewing and Quilting Machine, 185 Built-in Stitches, LCD Display, 8 Included Feet

See my Singer Curvy review. I bought two this month, neither worked, and I returned them. At a loss since I've only ever owned Singers, I took a chance on this machine. It was a little cheaper than the Curvy and had lots more features, but I was thinking Brother was a substandard brand as compared to the formerly dependable Singer. Boy was I wrong!I love this machine. I've tested it for three days of heavy sewing and it's still working! Even better: It's light, but feels more "solid" than my Singers. It doesn't "jiggle" as much. It's quiet and quick. Threading is easy, bobbin winding and insertion is a breeze. It has some great features, and I love the "needle down" programming (but you can change that if you don't like it.A few cons:--The needle threader is awkward to use. Singer's is much better. With this Brother, It's easier to just thread by hand.--The light is not very bright and it is positioned such that if you are threading or changing the needle, your hand blocks the light. (I turned a desk lamp toward the machine.)--It is difficult to see the 1/4 seam guide (I'm a quilter) and you can't place a magnet guide for that purpose without blocking the presser foot. (I'll mark it with some tape, I guess).--The power cord falls out of the machine easily, just with machine vibration. Annoying.The Pros (did I mention that I love this machine?):--Quick, smooth, quiet--Tight, neat stitches--Extension table (which I thought was useless but have found it very useful)--Easy, smooth bobbin winding; quick bobbin install.--Easy threading (by hand)--Stitch chart right on front of machine--this is VERY handy.--Very easy to change length and width of stitches.--Option for needle up or down stop position.--Sewing speed control (slow is great for thick corners to avoid needle breakage).--Feed dog retract for freehand quilting.--Priced at $190.00, so inexpensive machine but packed with features.And that's just the highlights.I've found a new home with Brother. I'm going to look at some of their higher end machines since this one is so impressive. Anyway, buy it, it's good. Goodbye, Singer. I'm sure my great-grandmother will forgive me under the circumstances.

I purchased this machine to replace my Brother 6000i. It should have been an upgrade. The first one lasted about 3 weeks before it started seizing up as though the bobbin casing was off. Amazon was amazing and replaced it within 24 hours. Second machine lasted roughly a week and a half before starting with the same problem. This time I am sending it back and have already ordered a different brand. I sew daily and need reliability. You’re not going to get reliability with this machine.Amazon has been amazing, however, and I can’t say enough about how easy they made it for me to return this item.

Upon opening box, I was on love. Ran like a dream. Until it didn't. I received this machine in late November 2018. But first week of March 2019 it went from running to locked up. As only had for 4 months, it is covered by warranty. Awesome right? It has now been in the shop for a week. The authorized warranty repair shop has advised me that this machine is reaching irreparable. As of this past Tuesday the cost of repairs (though not my responsibilty) had already exceeded the amount of $$ I paid for the machine. When I called for an update yesterday (the very next friday) I was advised the issues with the machine have gotten even more excessive. The woman asked me point blank "Can you return it? You really should get your money back."I read the reviews when I purchased the machine. I also purchased the extended warranty. As I have not even had the machine for 6 months it is still covered under the manufacturer's warranty and I will be looking into getting my money back. I was advised by the repair shop that this is not the first machine they have seen sold by Amazon in a deteriorated condition inconsistent with a brand new machine. Just noted that my return window closed 2 months ago (only had 2 months to return it). So, I guess will see what can be done between the repair shop and the manufacturer now.UPDATE: the final report from the repair shop was that they had been able to conduct all repairs. I got the machine home, attempted to sew. The machine is now skipping stitches. It did not do that prior to it breaking and going in for repairs. I will have to take it back to the shop for additional repairs.

I bought this machine in 2013, and have used it regularly over the years. I've pieced and quilted countless quilts on this machine, and for the most part, it has served me well. I'd had enough experience when I first bought to know that it wasn't perfect, but I was on a budget, and knew I could make it work. Considering it's been five years, I'd say it's done well. I've never had it serviced, but I open up the foot plate regularly and clean out the lint.What concerned me at the time of purchase, and today, now that it's on its last leg, is the fact that the manual specifically states, "In order to prevent damaging this machine, it must not be oiled by the user." To me, the subtext is, "This machine isn't really meant to last all that long, so don't bother putting too much maintenance effort into it." If I paid just shy of $200, and if a minimum service is $100 (quoted by my local quilt shop), I might as well save that hundred, and put it towards a machine that is meant to be maintained easily by the owner. Now that my machine is skipping stitches on a regular basis, I've decided it's time to move on. I've opened it up and tried to fix the timing problems, but after many hours of research and tinkering, I can't figure out how to fix the problem.Yet, despite my frustration at this point, I have gotten many happy hours sewing with this machine. I would recommend it for beginner and intermediate sewers. Just know that it isn't built to last.

This product is mis leading to the buyer... the machine is stated to have 25 year warranty on parts.... when my feed dogs stopped working they wouldn't replace or fix my machine... they stated that my machine was only warrantied for 1 year.........I would never buy another brother of any product