Hand Held Sewing Machines Review
Hand held sewing machines are the mini sewing tools small enough to hold in your hands while stitching. Most are made for on-the-spot repairs of denim, wool, leather, silk, and other small hobby crafts.
Most handheld machines are cordless - thus they make great replacements for manual stitching. The compact size and light weight are what make these portable hand sewing tools perfect for use when traveling, in RV or family vacations.
However, handheld sewing machines are not sufficient enough for professional projects that require more than just the basic stitch work.
There are hand powered and battery models, and they are both equally inexpensive. The manually powered - hand crank sewing machine quite often tends to create sloppy stitches, while the electric rechargeable or battery powered versions can often accomplish stronger, tighter, and more consistent stitches.
Either choice is better than performing hand-stitching, which can become tiring and hard on the fingers and may quite possibly produce sloppy stitches as well.
Advantages of the Cordless Hand Held Sewing Machine
If you are looking for a light and portable device that can be used under emergency situations such as when you tear your pants, then it would be a great idea to buy a cordless hand sewing machine. The good thing is that:
- You can do projects in mid-air, including mending curtains that are still hanging on the rods and quickly sewing up a hole in the pocket of your pants without removing them. Simply pull the pocket out of your pants, sew a quick zip of stitches, and the pocket is fixed, without the annoying and dangerous electric power cables.
- The size and weight of the portable handheld sewing machine allows it to fit into a handbag during the day for on-the-spot, quick fixes.
- A stationary and bulky model will take longer to set up and sew, whereas a hand operated model will only take minutes.
- The hand held mini sewing machine price range is usually within the budget of $10-$40.
Problems with the Handheld Sewing Machines
If manufacturers could come up with a device that actually worked well and performed the duties that it claimed to be able to do, these portable sewing machines would be worth their weight in gold. They would probably sell off the shelves, considering that they already sell very well as a product that is reviewed to be such a horrible investment.
For novice sewers that are accustomed to using a standard model, one of the major problems that arise when using these hand held models is:
- What do you do at the end of stitching? Normally, a regular domestic model will finish off the stitch for you, but when using the hand held sewing machine, you will have to cut off the thread and tie off the seam by hand.
- The thread often slips off the hook on the hand held device and you will end up with a lot of loose stitches.
- Another bad thing is that the typical small hand sewing machine will come with either poor manuals or none at all, sometimes resulting in the inability to figure out all of the uses that it could provide.
- Additionally, they will not produce reverse stitches.
Consumer Reports on the Top Selling Models:
Generally, consumer reviews for hand held sewing machines are not very good. Although even the best rated models are not recommended for buying, if you still want to try them, some options are:
- Handy Stitching Machine (as seen on TV) can be bought for less than $10 and is cordless for use anywhere. Reviewers recommend that, instead of buying this product, put your money towards a real domestic or industrial model. The device drops threads on a normal basis so much that it is more frustrating than simply stitching something by hand.
- Smartek Mini Rex Handheld Cordless Sewing Machine, which comes in the choices of either black or red, looks cute, but again the reviews are negative. One reviewer mentioned that the product made a sound like it wanted to work, but it would not make a stitch.
- Singer Stitch Sew Handheld Portable Sewing Machine also received terrible reviews. Comments included "piece of junk", "I hate it!" and "BAD CHOICE".
Final Recommendation:
The mini hand held sewing machine is an inexpensive substitute for manual labor, but receives mostly negative reviews. It does not require as much maintenance as the standard sized devices, but if the product does not work, why buy it? Among the many models that are available, the Singer Stitch Sew Quick seems to sell the best. As with any item that you are considering buying, research it thoroughly and, if at all possible, test it before you buy it.
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Portable Sewing Machines Buying Tips - Advice and Recommended Best Models
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Euro-Pro Sewing Machine Review - Why Euro Pro Shark is Best for the Money
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