Brother F420 Computerised Sewing Machine

It's my third Brother machine but an upgrade on my Innov-is 35. Easy to use, extra stitches including alphabets and a great needle threader. I especially love the extra inch or so in the throat which makes a lot of difference when you're stitching something bulky! And also the lovely little tray to store feet. Great service from SMD as usual!

Bought this as an upgrade from my old but reliable Brother machine. Like the wider throat area, the bobbin winding system, automatic threader, thread cutting button, stitch control at preess on button and so much more. Have used the button controls rather than the foot pedal, this is new to me but very easy to operate and control. Have sewn a range of fabrics of different weights including vinyl and no problem with stitches on any fabric. Really happy with this machine. Lots of features yet to use as still learning but easy to learn. Great, robust machine and good value for money.

Excellent machine for dressmaking and quilting and just general crafting. The machine is very user friendly. It seems solidly built a bit bigger than a normal machine so I had to buy another trolley to take to sewing classes. I would recommend this machine.

Brilliant machine!

This is a lovely machine, very easy to use, with a large range of stitches to close from. While I probably won't try to sew backpacks and bags with several layers of foam and interfacing too much, the smaller bags that I've made came out well. The knee lift raises and lowers the presser foot with no ability for micro adjustments but it does what I need it to do. Super easy threading and auto thread cutter just adds to its functions. I would recommend the F420 to sewists of all skill levels.

Brother Innov-is F420 Sewing Machine

Easy to use, love all the features.. it has all the extras I want in a machine, free motion, alphabets, lots of lovely 'fancy' stitches. It is smooth and has sped up my sewing as it threads my needle, press a button to sew and then cuts the thread for me - just great. Would recommend the machine, good value for money.

Brother NV F420 Sewing Machine

Love this machine! It’s a big leap from my previous rather basic machine so I’m still getting my head around everything, but so far it’s been a dream to work with. For a start, it’s so quiet! The automatic needle threader has been really helpful - no more squinting. Also having good speed control and not needing to use a foot pedal has made another big difference. There are a heap of stitches to select from too so I’m looking forward to new projects that my previous machine couldn’t have tackled.

Brother NV F420 Sewing Machine

Bought this around Black Friday when there was about £60 off and came with a free quilting set. I was going to be away for the delivery but with DPD was able to delay delivery, which worked really well. I have never had a Brother machine before but I have to say it sews really well on a variety of fabrics. The needle down function is such a bonus to hold your fabric when you stop sewing. It has loads of lovely stitches too. The handbook is really useful to have by your side instead of having a download, to help you navigate the menus. It looked complicated to begin with but once you've used the machine a few times, you get the hang of it. It comes with all the basic feet and if you get the quilt pack you really won't need any more. It comes with a hard cover to keep ... MoreBought this around Black Friday when there was about £60 off and came with a free quilting set. I was going to be away for the delivery but with DPD was able to delay delivery, which worked really well. I have never had a Brother machine before but I have to say it sews really well on a variety of fabrics. The needle down function is such a bonus to hold your fabric when you stop sewing. It has loads of lovely stitches too. The handbook is really useful to have by your side instead of having a download, to help you navigate the menus. It looked complicated to begin with but once you've used the machine a few times, you get the hang of it. It comes with all the basic feet and if you get the quilt pack you really won't need any more. It comes with a hard cover to keep it clean but mine has hardly been on as I'm enjoying using it so much. All in all a wonderful machine that I'm using for general sewing and quilting.

Easy to use

I make bags for my small business and bought this machine to use as my portable one.It is a little larger than your standard machine so was a bit of a tight fit in my trolley bag.The auto cutting and lock stitch are great time saving features. Along with the knee lift and needle down position setting when you stop sewing. It also has some really pretty decorative stitches that come out well.The machine is very easy to use especially with all the stitch numbers listed on it.As far as sewing layers this machine does have its limits which I discovered pretty quickly. So any heavy work is best done on my industrial. But that is to be expected.It can sew through 2 layers of denim, wadding, cotton fabric and heavy interfacing with ease. If you add additional ... MoreI make bags for my small business and bought this machine to use as my portable one.It is a little larger than your standard machine so was a bit of a tight fit in my trolley bag.The auto cutting and lock stitch are great time saving features. Along with the knee lift and needle down position setting when you stop sewing. It also has some really pretty decorative stitches that come out well.The machine is very easy to use especially with all the stitch numbers listed on it.As far as sewing layers this machine does have its limits which I discovered pretty quickly. So any heavy work is best done on my industrial. But that is to be expected.It can sew through 2 layers of denim, wadding, cotton fabric and heavy interfacing with ease. If you add additional thickness like going over a handle that's 4 layers of denim/drill plus the above mentioned layers. The machine will skip stiches even tho it still sews through. So it's really not designed for this work being a domestic machine. Unfortunately I was lead to believe it would handle this by the sales representative.Overall it does what I need it to do on the smaller bags. Which is great because I can take it to my mum's for a sewing marathon or use it to add some fancy stitching which my industrial cannot do.So I would recommend it for general sewing and basic home decor like curtain hems. Just use a decent size needle for thicker layers. I use a denim needle (14/90) in this machine with Gutterman cotton which works best. I found cheaper cottons cause issues with the top tension clogging up with fluff in a very short period of use. This causes the machine to stop and jam up suddenly which is quite annoying.

Great features, needs work to understand them all

Manual complex. Needs intensive work to understand all its abilities but the basics are very easy to do. Love the 'no hands' and presser foot lifter facilities. Sometimes quicker to find answer to problems on internet than the manual especially YouTube (very helpful). I will get there eventually but will have to put in some hours to do all the stitches. Alphabet stitches are one size only (quite small), would love them to be a larger sizes. Would still recommend this machine, especially if you're an avid sewer. I'm new to the computerised ones so haven't the knowledge to take forward from my old machine.

Has all the features the hobbyist sewer needs

Got this machine on sale at my local sewing shop. Had seen it online whilst doing research after I decided I was going to update my old machine (basic Brother that I inherited), but the price tag put it out of my range until the local shop's sale. Used it to make a few small things so far.The machine itself feels solid and sturdy, with a good weight to it without being unfeasibly heavy (frame is aluminium I believe). Hard case is great, and carrying handle feels secure. Bobbin winding function works quickly and reliably, stitch selection is easy, and self-threading function is fun (I tend to thread my own needle out of habit, but the fuction works reliably). Knee lift is a great feature I didn't think I'd get in my price range - it's a computerised function, ... MoreGot this machine on sale at my local sewing shop. Had seen it online whilst doing research after I decided I was going to update my old machine (basic Brother that I inherited), but the price tag put it out of my range until the local shop's sale. Used it to make a few small things so far.The machine itself feels solid and sturdy, with a good weight to it without being unfeasibly heavy (frame is aluminium I believe). Hard case is great, and carrying handle feels secure. Bobbin winding function works quickly and reliably, stitch selection is easy, and self-threading function is fun (I tend to thread my own needle out of habit, but the fuction works reliably). Knee lift is a great feature I didn't think I'd get in my price range - it's a computerised function, either up or down, not a mechanical lift where you can control how high you lift. This machine can also take a twin needle arrangement, which I intend to employ in future quilting projects.Machine has generous throat space for a model that isn't quilting-specific. Toolkit is handily placed in the standard compartment, in front under the feed dogs, and instruction manual is clear and quite useful. Machine itself sews smoothly, and is very quiet. Very happy with it so far!