Customer Reviews

SINGER 7470 Confidence Electronic Sewing Machine

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have had this machine for about a month. I have made a quilt, 4 shirts, and 3 sets of curtains with it. I am a sewing novice. I spent some time on my mother's machine as a kid, it was unfortunate as it broke a lot, and now I'm really learning how to do it through quilting and sewing classes.

Pros:
Auto tension! I love it. It works every time.
Drop in bobbin! I will never go back.
Easy to select stitches. (however,do read the manual before doing
twin needle work!)
Lots of choices for embellishing items with embroidery.
So far, no issues and I've sewn heavy and light fabrics.

Cons:
The autothreader takes more work than doing it myself.
You will need another light source if you like to sew at night.

I don't like that to reverse stitch I have to hold the button at
the same time I guide my fabric. Couldn't they just let me press
the button, then press the button again when I'm done with
reverse? (That's not novice friendly!)

A bit heavy to carry. I'm tough, but carrying it for more than a
short walk will get to you. Get a rollerboard carrier and skip
the plastic case.

At 37 years old, I have only been sewing for less then 2 months! I originally bought the Singer Simple model. It was a great tool in teaching me basic threading and sewing technique; but I quickly outgrew it! The "simple" became not so simple when it came to bobbin thread and performance. It was a nightmare to continually have to re-thread the bobbin. That, along with various other factors, led to the search for an upgraded sewing machine. At first I was intimidated by the "electronic" features of the newer models, although now I am not sure why that is so. I LOVE THIS MACHINE! I have yet to really play around with it, but the basics of just threading and straight stitching have proven to be far superior to the "simple" model when it comes to ease of use and performance.

1. The "Confidence" does not jump up and down on the table, like the "simple".

2. The bobbin has given me ZERO problems when it comes to threading and clean sewing. No more messed up or broken bobbin thread!

3. The Auto tension has performed perfectly so far.

4. The "Confidence" is less noisy than the "simple".

5. Overall, the "Confidence" flows smoothly. The electronic features take some time to get used to; but having so many stitches to choose from makes sewing all the more fun.

As previously noted, I am a complete novice. But to be able to quickly thread and start sewing, and come out with a quality garment is a tribute to the user friendly design of the "Confidence". The instruction manual is sufficient in its definitions, descriptions, and photos ... enough to make sense. The included accessories with the "Confidence" are valuable.

With so many sewing machines on the market, it becomes overwhelming to know which machine to choose. I based my decision largely on consumer reviews (as well as a recommendation from several staff members at a retail store). As of now, I couldn't be happier with my decision.

NOTES:

As another reviewer notes, the machine is a bit heavy to carry around. As for the backstitch button, I have not found it to be a great problem that the backstitch button must continually be pressed. The "simple's" backstitch button was a MAJOR pain, and never really worked right. The "confidence" backstitch button is fairly pain free to use.

Also, it is noted that Class 15J bobbins must be used. I have used Class 15 with no problems; but have since decided (per further recommendation) to only use Class 15J bobbins. Can't find these everywhere. I found them at several online retailers, as well as Ebay and Singerco.

I really believe the average sewer will be very pleased with the Singer Confidence 7470. The price is not as high as quality machines, and the features are amazing.

Have fun sewing!

This is my 1st brand new machine. I had always rec'd hand-me-downs before and they were never good machines to begin with. I would rate myself as a decent sewer. I recently got into quilting. This machine you will give you nice stiches, you don't have to worry about your project falling apart. (If you have ever had that happen you know how devasting it can be). I think this machine would be good for anyone, even if they were new to sewing. The manual is super easy and so is winding the bobbin and threading the machine. I did a lot of research and for the features, this was the best quality for the price.
Good Luck to you and happy sewing!

I thought this machine was jam proof. There are a lot nice features to this machine, but my thread keeps jamming up. I'm thinking of returning it.

4/1/09 -
I cleaned out the bobbin area, removed any threads, and rethreaded top and bottom and it now works like a charm. I've had to do this twice so far, so I'm not sure if it is something that I am doing wrong. It works great now. I decided to keep it.

6/23/09 -
I have sewn three quilts so far, and have only had one minor jamming problem. The problem was putting the bobbin in upside down. I flipped it right side up and that solved the problem. I love all the different stitches, but wish the alphabet feature had different font sizes. The size that comes with the machines is very small about 1/4 inch. I have a problem adding thread to the bobbin. The machine doesn't automatically add the thread very evenly, and I have to manually move the thread up and down the bobbin to keep the thread from bunching up in one area, otherwise I like this machine.

8/5/09
I was finally able to change the rating from two stars to four stars. Just waiting for Amazon to update the change.

1/20/10

After reading the instructions correctly I learned how to thread the bobbin correctly, and I have not had a problem since. I love the different stitches, very easy to use and my sewing buddies are jealous of my various stitches. This is a good price for what you get. I got mine for about $350 on amazon Dec08.

After reading all the reviews here, I decided to buy the Singer Confidence 7470. I am new at sewing, yet I took a risk on a pricey machine. I'm so glad I did. I love it. It gives me great confidence (no pun intended) in my ability to sew. I did have a slight problem: not being able to get the feed dog back up again. I took a closer look at the little feed dog switch in the back. It turns out there is a "locking" mechanism. Here's how to get the feed dog back up. Facing the switch, push down and push to the right. Turn the hand wheel towards the front of the machine, allowing the needle to go up and down a few times. Viola! The feed dog has returned to its original position.

I bought this machine in Nov.2008 and have been using it for about 4 months now. I had an entry level Singer for 22 yrs and decided to upgrade to this electronic machine. I consider myself an intermediate sewer who mostly does alteration for my family(taking in, hemming up, etc), and some easy sewing such as pajama pants, window valances, pillow cases,etc.

I am very pleased with the Singer Confidence, especially the price for the functions you get.

2 things I totally enjoy: 1)the automatic needle threader is wonderful! The trick is to make sure you start out with the needle in the highest position, and just follow the pictures in the manual. 2) the auto thread tension works! The machine does adjust itself to the fabric. Although it's still very important that the correct needle size is used. For just these 2 things, I find it worth the money.

PS- The embroidery is small (alphabet, a dog, heart, etc) and I understand that this is an entry level machine for embroidering. You only get a taste of it. This is not a serious embroidering machine.


May 2011 update after 2 1/2 years of use:

So far I have taken the machine in for one tune up. It continues to work well, and I had been productive with my various sewing projects, however I have gained a more seasoned perspective on this machine. I have to say that I am now somewhat disappointed for the following reasons:

The lighting on this machine is really really poor. I end up using extra lamps but, I found this problem to be a major deficiency because my old/cheaper machine did not have this problem. How can a $300+ machine has such an elementary problem?? So if you are 40+ yrs old, and contemplating this machine, I think you need to think about this lighting issue. It bugs me enough that I thought I should write about it.

The other issue I want to do an update on is the automatic needle threader. This feature was very important to me and it turns out to be a somewhat delicate/fragile mechanism. You need to handle it with care. It has a tiny tiny little hook that has to go through the eye needle and if you are heavy handed (like my kids) you can easily bang it against the sewing needle. Also, whenever you change the sewing needle (which you should, depending on the type of fabric you are working on)you have to make sure the sewing needle is in the right height & position, in order for the automatic threader tiny hook to go through. I end up having to do some finagling every time I change needle to get it to go back in sync with the automatic needle treader. So, the automatic needle threader feature works, but don't expect it to be of "industrial" strength, expect to occasionally spend time fudging with it when you change needle and watch your frustration mounting... In all fairness, according to the owner of the shop I took the machine in, this feature is delicate in the other brand too. But, he thinks that the other brand might be a bit sturdier.

I hope this update is helpful in your decision to purchase this model. I have taken my rating down to 3 stars instead of my original 5 stars rating.

I sew quite a bit & this was my first new machine purchase. I've had it about 4 months or so. This sewing machine is easy to use & switching to other stitches is a breeze. I love the auto tension. There were a couple things I was a little dissapointed with on the machine. The auto threader was difficult for me to work. The see through bobbin top, I love but it's plastic & seems like it would be easy to break. The letter embroidery is very small.

I am a quilter and love this machine. It is the first new machine I have ever purchased and it exceeds my greatest expectations! The ordering and receiving proccess was extremely quick!

I received this in December 2008 as a Christmas present. Before that, I'd been making due with an entry-level Euro Pro that jammed consistently. It was also a gift, and I didn't have the money to buy one myself. I was always afraid to sew anything ambitious on that machine, so right off the bat, the Singer is a 1000% improvement. It hasn't jammed once.

Pros:
-I love the drop-in bobbin. I don't even mind having to adjust the thread myself while it's winding, either (as another reviewer pointed out). It's just so much easier than on my old machine.
-It handles all fabrics, thick and thin. Just make sure you're using the right needle (of course)!
-The buttonholer and button sewer are marvellous - soooo easy! And I used to *hate* sewing buttonholes. Lowering and raising the feed dog is a snap, too. Very convenient instead of having to use a special plate.
-Despite that this isn't an "embroidery" machine, the stitches it does are very lovely, practical, and it doesn't have so many fancy stitches that I'll never use. I didn't buy this to be an embroidery machine, but the decorative stitches it has are very nice.
-The see-through bobbin plate is very handy.
-The blind stitch works wonderfully! My old machine would only do a reverse blind stitch. This simply wouldn't work with the blind hem foot I had for that machine. Hemming is super easy now.
-If all the little prongs on the automatic needle threader are in just the right spot, it works like a charm. (see cons)

Cons:
-If all the little prongs on the automatic needle threader are NOT in just the right spot, it won't work at all. The center of the three prongs is the one that hooks the thread. It must line up just so, so that it goes into the hole on the needle. Once it's through the needle hole, hook the thread, and pop it through. I had to manually bend mine a little bit to get it in the right spot.
-I've started making my first quilt. I know this isn't the best quilting machine out there, but I somewhat expected better results. I bought the correct walking foot for the machine, but it just doesn't feed the material while I'm quilting. I have to manually pull the quilt through. This is frustrating, and I can't quilt as accurately as I'd like. Perhaps I'm just doing something wrong here, but it's like there's not enough pressure being exerted by the walking foot to make the quilt advance through the machine.
-The rolled hem foot isn't all that great, either. It's easier (seriously) to just press and pin a narrow hem myself. And even that's a great challenge - but easier than the rolled hem foot.

Overall, this is a great machine that I've already used on dozens of projects (clothes to curtains), and I plan to keep it around for a long time.

I have not sewed for a long time and consider myself an advanced beginner. I wanted to get back into sewing without spending a lot, yet I did not want just a basic machine. I found what I wanted with the 7470. It has a lot of cute decorative stitches and a couple built in alphabets in addition to the usual utility stitches. It comes with all the basic feet, a soft plastic cover, nicely done instruction manual, and all the other extras like needles and bobbins. So far I have made some nice home dec type of things and hope to start a garmet next. The 7470 is very smooth running and sews nicely. The menus are very easy to use. It has a mirror image, repeat inifinity stitch and can handle double needles. The sewing area is wide and sturdy. The machine threads easily, the bobbin is drop in, and the needle threader really works!! So far I am very pleased and think I did good getting this one!