Customer Reviews

Brother XL2230 31-Stitch Function Free-Arm Sewing Machine with 11 Built-In Stitches

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We ordered 7 of these machines for our school sewing class, and each machine is in use approximately 1-2 hours per week. Upon receipt, one of the machines would not work, and we received a replacement. We have now been using the machines for about 6 weeks, and have consistently had problems with the bobbin casing dislocating and causing the needle to jam or break. The sewing instructor, who has extensive sewing experience, used the word temperamental to describe them and said that they are a nightmare for the frustrated students attempting to learn to sew. They were reasonably priced, but I guess you get what you pay for.

I'm a novice sewist who only likes to do fast and easy (weekend) projects. So far, I've made a pair of sleep shorts with elastic; hemmed jeans; fitted baggy t-shirts; and essentially played around with the machine. My father also hemmed a bunch of draperies for my sister's condo and he seemed to like the machine quite a bit.

PROS
- good number of basic accessories, incl. zipper foot, narrow hem foot, blind hem foot, a few extra needles, one twin needle, three plastic bobbins, extra spool pin, plastic darning plate and screwdriver. Zig zag foot was already installed when I received the unit. All the feet are metal except for a clear plastic "button sewing foot."
- "free arm" feature is handy
- seems solid enough. I don't mind the plastic, keeps the price down and makes it easier to carry.
- also like that it doesn't need much space to store. I made a cover for it w/ approx. measurements 17"x13"x6" --can easily carry w/ one hand due to integrated handle.
- foot can be raised about 3/4"
- a coin instead of screw driver can be used to tighten needle holder. You could use your fingers, but the screw is small.
- handles denim relatively easily, even six layers at a folded hem. keep the back of the foot lifted with a piece of wadded cloth or tilt it carefully with your finger.
- robust feed dogs. In fact, I can't imagine using this for sheer cloth, might stretch apart

CONS
- louder than I expected from reviews
- no quilting feet are included (I don't mind, given you get a lot of other accessories, but some might)
- there isn't much space on the right side of the foot if you need to pass your project "through" the machine
- threader only seems to work for size 11 and 14 needles; it's okay, I keep a wire needle threader on the side for jeans needles
- selection dial feels fragile. Might break under heavy use
- no setting to have the needle automatically stay up or down when you stop sewing. You'll need to manually turn the (too small) handwheel. Might not be that great for people with arthritis
- foot pedal is best operated barefoot to get the most finesse. It has little middle range and likes to go at 80mph on the least provocation.

POTENTIAL THREAD TENSION PROBLEMS
This machine is indeed "tempramental," as another reviewer put it. If you have tension problems:
- metal class 15 bobbins seem to work a little better than plastic when dealing with finicky tension problems, but then you lose the advantage of being able to see your bobbin thread levels. The manual continually harps on using the correct bobbins though, so remember: do as the manual says and not as I do. :)
- the tension screw for the bobbin appears to be locked in place with a dab of green enamel paint, so you can't mess with it.
- be sure that the bobbin thread is properly threaded under and through a small metal tab under the plastic guide. If you take the bobbin case out, you'll see the metal tab.
- be sure you're threading with the presser foot up
- give the upper thread a gentle tug as you thread through point 2 (near the top of the machine) to make sure the thread "seats" itself between the tension discs
- rethread the upper all over again

Once the tension's been resolved, this machine sews beautifully...until it doesn't...but so far mostly good. I'm not very experienced, so it could be that I wasn't following proper threading procedure previously--but it does seem my grandmother's ancient White sewing machine was forgiving compared to this one.

OVERALL:
Buy if the machine is on sale for cheap; you expect to use a straight stitch most of the time, as the tensioning problems won't be as obvious if they happen; you don't need to sew sheer cloth; you're okay with troubleshooting potentially frequent thread tension problems; you want a light machine with a good number of accessories that can handle denim. I think it's a contender for around one hundred-ish dollars. (I got it for somewhat less than that during one of Amazon's Gold Box deals.) Best of luck to those who choose this machine--you may need it!

I replaced my Singer with this machine and I am more than happy with it. The Singer machine caused me problems from day one on. Contrary to the Singer the Brother machine is quiter, doesn't let the table vibrate and doesn't tangle up the stiches like my Singer does. I already made a couple of outfits for myself and it worked like a charm. I only can recommend this machine!!! I am having a ball with this little machine. And the price isn't to beat.

I wasn't sure what to expect from some of the reviewers comments and the price of this machine. I certainly didn't need a toner cartridge! I'm new to sewing and with the features that this machine has, I figured that it could do just about anything I could ever need it to do. My mother, an experienced sewer, was there for moral support for my first attempt. This machine was great! Easy to use, quiet, and worked very well with no issues what-so-ever. I can't help but think that unless the machine was truly defective, that the people having problems with it, either didn't read, or didn't understand, the instructions. As a matter of fact, I know that's true because some things people mentioned as problems, are covered in the manual. I let my mother try it and she even liked it better than her old Singer. She said that she was looking for an inexpensive machine because she didn't need a fancy one like this with all these options. When I told her the price, she couldn't believe that this nice machine was so inexpensive. So far, I've got no complaints.

This year, I'd enrolled in a home ec course for the second time in my life. The first time around hadn't been very fun--but then again, I had been 12 at the time. I had such a good time sewing and thought it was so useful that I decided to invest in a machine. I went to a store here, where the cheapest machine they had was $398. When I said I wanted to invest, I meant less than $100. So I went onto Amazon and looked it up and found this Brother machine, a name I recognized. It got here three days ago and I'm in love with it. I've already sewed a cover for it, and it really is a dream. Easy to thread, not too bulky, quiet... Everything I could ever ask for. I definitely recommend this machine.

Natali
Miami, Fl

All the features are wonderful, and I've made several p.j. sets for my grandsons, curtains, etc. during the past 2 months. The only thing that I'd prefer is a better guide plate or foot to insure the straightest seam possible. The machine has a "blind spot".

Otherwise, great basic machine. Quiet, lightweight, small. Great price.

I highly recommend it.

I am a beginner sewer and this machine is really easy to use. I have only used two stitches so far as that is all I have needed, but I just put what i need to be sewn into the front and it feeds through and voila it is sewn together. I had trouble with the needle unthreading at first, but realised that I needed about 3 inches loose thread each time to prevent this. I recommend this machine to anyone wanting an easy machine to use.

This is my first sewing macine I have ever purchased. I was very happy with the value for the price and the speed at which it arrived. Way to go Amazon!

Upon opening the package, I found that the the main Zig Zag foot was missing. I contacted Brother Customer service via web since no phone number was included. A day later, I recieved an auto email with a phone number and called it. I was immediately transferred into a voice mesaging system with an option to talk to someone now. I selected that and was given a different answering machine...I left a message. This proceeded 3 different times over the course of 2 weeks with no call back. I finally kept calling until someone answered. They said they would get a foot out to me 'today', 3 weeks later and I'm still waiting...

I would give this machine 5 stars as it has exceeded my expectations using some alternative feet that came with the machine but had to take off one star for Brother's customer service. It pulls material well once the tension is set appropriately, including my husband's heavy duty double reinforced jeans.

I am very pleased with this machine. Easy to use, sews a variety of fabrics. I previously had a Brother machine that finally bit the dust after 26 years so I am hoping for comparable longevity.

i just got this machine and i love it,i've always had a diffrent brand but this one is so smooth and light weight and it sure does alot for the money and your shipping service was faster then i thought thank you amazon.

Rose
Belleose N.Y.