SINGER 5532 Heavy Duty Extra-High Sewing Speed Portable Sewing Machine with Metal Frame and Stainless Steel Bedplate

I have been looking for quite some time to buy a nice and reliable sewing machine for my simple sewing needs that include jeans/pants hemming, sewing light/medium leather, garment repairing, etc. A simple non-heavy-duty household machine would probably be ok, but it is not a bad idea to get something with more power yet being able to carry it around the house from time to time. There are really heavy-duty industrial sewing machines popping up on local Craigslist that cost around 300 and more but those machines will make your room look like a sewing workshop. After doing hours research I ended up buying a $300 Janome HD first. It looked solid with nice basic features but I never managed to make the thread tension right with it. Even on the highest upper thread tension there were upper thread loops showing on the bottom side of fabric. That machine was made of metal mostly and has a decent motor too. However, not happy with the tension I sent it back and continued with the search. The Singer 5532 Heavy Duty model was on my mind before but after reading some negative reviews about the reliability I opted out for Jenome. However, I noticed that most of the negative reviews were left for a different Model of the same kind - 4411 or 4423, not 5532 or 4432. I cannot say anything about those 2 cheaper models, but 5532 and 4432 are the same machines, only 5532 is made for US/Canada 110V electric outlets only. With more stitch options and price twice more than 4411, 5532 in my mind is a better and more reliable machine too. It works pretty well and leaves nice and even stitches every time. I would definitely recommend a Singer walking foot for heavy multi-layer fabric, leather, etc. There is one on Ebay that I picked up for 18 bucks and it makes a world of difference. The machine handles denim and medium leather just fine too with the right thread (T90, my favorite) and Shmetz Size 110/18 needles. I took the covers off and was pleasantly surprised to see the heavy solid aluminum frame inside and 95% of metal parts, including the shafts, all gear assemblies, arms, etc. The stitch wheel cams are made of plastic or nylon, they are made of metal on Janome though. I could not detect any visible flaws with the mechanics at first glance, all the nuts and bolts are tight, the joints and washers are well lubricated with grease and oil, I put a little extra oil and grease on the stitch cams and sliding parts just in case. Overall, it really looks nice and solid, I think the machine should last many many years with moderately reasonable use (knock on wood). Sewing leather occasionally should be ok, but definitely not recommended on a daily basis with this model though, there are special industrial models for that task. There is no computerized circuitry inside 5532 that can fry and turn the sewing machine into a brick or a door stop. Threading is super easy and well outlined on the body of the machine. I had a minor issue with the automatic threader but it uses a little screw to adjust horizontal position of the hook to fit the needle ear that worked like a charm. I know that only time will prove how reliable 5532 is and hopefully I will not need to return to this review to edit it. But so far life is great and I would be happy to recommend 5532 to everyone! Here is a picture of one of the bar stools that I recently re-upholstered with genuine 1.5mm leather and sewed with 5532 (T90 nylon thread and 110/18 leather needle with walking foot): https://www.dropbox.com/s/2m9wzfwvj3kbcpe/2014-08-16%2011.42.10.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/kylgm4wz25zpbvf/%24_57.JPG

Unlike the cheapie "Singer branded" ones out there, this is a REAL Singer. I love this machine. After my 31 year old Stylist died a month after its 30-year warranty was up (hmmmm), I replaced it with this. Very solid and powerful. Runs smoothly still singing that famous Singer song. I only gave it 4 stars because: 1. The bobbin cover was made to come off and if you put it down, being clear, it is hard to find. Being plastic, I will step on it when I am looking for it someday. I bought a spare. 2. The automatic needle threader rarely works and the LED light is nowhere near as bright as the old incandescent from the last machine. I use a goose neck lamp to provide enough light to thread the machine and see my work. Still I wouldn't trade it for any computerized machine or any of the lightweight all plastic ones on the market.

For a Heavy Duty sewing machine this is a piece of garbage (about 5 hrs of use!). I managed to get one project done and it decided to nest in the bobbin every time I tried to start a run. Now for all you nay-sayers about the bobbin not being threaded correctly and the tension and top thread being correct, I DID DO THOSE CORRECTLY. The issue is that the hook and bobbin holder have become misaligned and the looping of the top thread around the bobbin doesn't relesse correctly. As a result it jams up - and breaks needles. For a heavy duty machine (and I was doing light stuff) this is completely unacceptable. I really wanted to find a machine that was reliable an could do many different types of work and was hoping this would be it. I've returned it and am trying a different machine.

Bought this a couple years ago, love my Singer, does everything it claimed to do, put it dang near through everything by now and it's still going strong. Mighty nice machine, I'm a country woman, don't always fool with patterns and such a lot, sometimes I like to go my own way and that can make for some interesting sewing as well as interesting sewing maneuvers, believe me when I say it holds up real well under duress. At least mine does anyway, just make sure you know how to set it back right if you mess it up like knocking the needle out of alignment, etc., I know how to do all that plus I keep my machine clean and well oiled. But it is a beaut to have. You'll like it, I do. It'll handle rough stuff for sure. It looks and is built like a tank which I appreciate, it can handle heavy fabrics as promised and that's what I needed.

Yep -- this was pretty much exactly what I needed. My Viking Emerald 116 is getting tired, and it never handled heavier fabric as well as I'd have liked, and it was getting close to a decade of moderate to heavy wear. This one had most of the features I liked on the Viking -- the one-step buttonholer, the automatic needle threader -- so I finally bought it. Though I don't have a lot of time (and I have a nine-month-old kitten who's fascinated with the sewing process), I've mostly finished a project with some wool-blend fabric I suspect the Viking would have struggled with. I haven't done any buttonholes yet, and I will say the "free arm" isn't as free as I'd like (the Viking doesn't have part of the frame extending out under the arm, the Singer does, it's less free space for wrangling armholes), but that's a technique thing more than a problem with the machine. I'm sure I'll figure it out.

At first, I was thrown off by the plastic construction of the machine, but it worked. I was able to sew through leather with ease using a leather needle. I like the stitch patterns and the ease of using the machine. Now for the Cons: The light on the machine is too small and you can't adequately see what you are sewing. I took a pole lamp and aimed it at the sewing machine for extra light. After a week the needle threader stopped working and I returned the unit and purchased another manufacturer's machine.

Machine worked great for the first 3 months. After that the tension, bobbin, and timing began to skip. Had it serviced by a professional and reset, afterwards I have had zero issues and machine continues to perform in excellent ways!! It's well worth the money and more in terms of performance, quality, and stitch. I have used it on denim, minky, fur, and vinyl fabrics and have not had any issues. Highly recommend!!!! No other one like it on the market!!!

I make a lot of fleece blankets at Christmas and during the year as gifts and needed a machine that would go through multiple thickness of fleece/fabric easily and with even stitches even at faster speeds. I wasn't disappointed, it is faster and able to handle what I need it for. I really like the self threading needle and the enclosed storage compartment. The only problem I have had is with the bobbin and the bobbin tension, it doesn't really tell you how to adjust this if you have any problems.