I have had my Brother B5300 Sewing Machine for two years.  Before I got it I was only able to hand sew and my projects were very limited.  Once I got my sewing machine I was able to sew doll clothing, mini quilts, and even larger items like an apron.  The stitches are easy to adjust and hold wonderfully.  There are many different stitches to choose from, even one for button holes, which is such a wonderful thing.  Adjusting the tension is very easy as well, it only took me a couple tries to get it right.  It also holds up to many different types of fabrics.  I have used easy fabrics like cotton and brocade, as well as thicker materials like leather and flannel.  It is also easy to transport from room to room since it is very light weight.   I have only had one problem with it and that is with threading the bobbin to fill it.  It is hard to start the thread and keep the tension right.  Besides that it is a wonderful sewing machine to have.

Lfields

Edinburgh, IN

A Brother B5300 Sewing Machine leaves a lot to be desired.  It breaks down a lot.  The tension on the thread doesn't work right and it keeps breaking the thread. The bobbin thread get tangled up while sewing also.  I have had this trouble since my machine was new.

rowens2000

Niles, MI

I am not a professional by any means, in fact the majority of my sewing is craft sewing.   I love to make doll outfits or felt play food for my daughter and this does just that.   I've even used it for some of her home made clothes.   Granted, nothing was huge and the biggest outfit I made was about a size 4t with regular knit fabric so nothing thick.   I haven't had any problems with it.  Unlike other reviewers my thread maybe has broken a couple of times but nothing that has been annoying and I haven't had any problems with the thread knotting (well that wasn't user error).   So far the toys I have sew for my daughter have all stood up to her abuse and the clothes have been washed a couple of times and no problem.   It can be a little tricky at first to get started and to figure out the bobbin part, I had to have my grandmother in law help me with that.   I even made about 20 bean bags for my daughters class and was able to whip them up using this machine without a problem.   I recommend it for a beginner that's just playing, I think if I had one of the bigger ones with all those options it would overwhelm me more and I probably wouldn't use it as much. 

kbz2002

Syracuse, NY

I was so disappointed in this sewing machine.  I didn't do my homework before purchasing and now wish I had.  The main problem i had with this machine was that once i got sewing, the thread kept breaking.  Then I would re-thread it, and yes, it was correctly threaded, and then it would get knotted up underneath!  After several attempts at trying to sew large things, I put this machine in the closet and only use it for small, craft sewing.  It really isn't very useful at all.

Jayepea

Fullerton, CA

I thought this was agreat gift for my aunt, as she loves to saw different things like pillows, skirts ad little heart-shaped pillows for her church members.It works really well, and its user-friendly as she is on it daily. It is white and light weight, it comes with a 2 pieces carrying and storage case. As she is old its easy to move around since its light in weight, It fits any free-arm sewing machine and most sergers and it also has locking metal side hinges; built-in handle and stay-clean surface. She has had it for quite a while since i orderd it online. This sewing machine has a manufacture limited warranty of 25 years. She is always thanking me for this even after all the years she has had it. I was able to work on it as well even though i am not familiar with sewing machine. It is well worthy the penny you wil spend on it. Brother is good brand name for a lot of home households. Go get it for that family member who likes to saw

ladybug14

Pasadena, TX

I am not a big sewer by any means, but on occasion I do sew things, either for repair or because things like curtains can be much more economical if you sew them yourself. And because, although I can sew by hand, I am not a fast sewer and I have a hard time keeping my seams straight, I wanted to have a sewing machine. My parents-in-law got me this machine for Christmas and I LOVE it! It's so easy to use, it has good, basic, practical options for stitch type, and it's not huge! The instructional DVD that came with mine was very helpful, and the instruction booklet is very helpful as well. Especially for someone like me for whom this was my first sewing machine. I was very tentative to use it or set it up b/c I was doing it on my own and had no experienced sewer to help me with it, but it was so simple that I had it up and running in no time! The foot pedal is easy to use- it doesn't start racing off before you are ready for it to pick up speed. And just over-all, I enjoy using this machine.

akathegremlin

Pensacola, FL

Bought the machine for my wife. Her Aunt went to the store with me and suggested a Brother machine because the bobbins and their mechanisms are metal. The price was good and my wife hadn't sewed for years so I thought it would be a good start. My wife and daughter used it right away and found the bobbin hard to thread and the stitching got caught on different materials. She said it worked best on medium weight fabrics but not good on light weight or heavy. All in all she was more frustrated than happy. If I had to do it over I would have spent a little more on a better machine. I still would look at Brother, just not this model.

paparocque

Greer, SC

The very first time I used this sewing machine it was broke.  The back stitch was not holding or stitching right.  And then the bobbin just started not spinning at all and getting all tangled and stuck.  I called customer service, they walked me through all the things I could do to fix it, but it still did not work.  Finally I took it to get fixed at a repair store, it was under one year warranty so the fix was free.  I was in the process of moving and so didn't use it for a long time.  When I finally got it out to use it again it worked great, but only for about two weeks.  Then it started doing the same thing, but the sucky part is...the one year warranty was up.  So, the sewing machine was crappy.  I don't know if it was the model or if I just got a lemon, but make sure your sewing machine works consistently before the one year warranty is up.  I got hardly any use out of this machine and have to buy a new one now.

georgeolner

Houston, TX