This is the very first machine I ever purchased and I love it. It was a matter of minutes of taking it out the box and I was off and sewing. I watched all kinds of videos while I was waiting for it to arrive so I knew how to thread it and start sewing when I got it. It is so easy to thread and operate that a monkey could do it. All the stitches it has will take me 2 life times to use. I am so glad I got this SINGER 9960... Don't think about it just buy this and you will love it as much as I do...