Before purchasing the Brother 1034D serger I had never used one. I had no problems following the instructions to thread the machine and change the stitch. So far I'm very pleased with it. I have great results on straight seams, but am having some difficulty on curves. I think I just need more practice using it. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I would say my sewing skills are just average and I've still had great results when I've used it.