Brother BRTHR-CS6000I Brother Sewing and Quilting Ma (Open Box)

First off, I normally don't write reviews. But after checking this machine over and having a chance to sit down and sew with it for awhile, I feel I need to. I ordered my Brother CS6000i after reading reviews (pros and cons) and comparing the machine's features to other machines. It was on my doorstep in less than 48 hours (thanks, Amazon!) and arrived perfectly safe. I primarily do clothing construction and alterations and this machine is wonderful for that! I was factory-trained at Pfaff back in 1985, so I understand very well how sewing machines work. I would like to comment on some ill advice that has been given in some of the negative reviews concerning this machine. DO NOT USE METAL BOBBINS. The bobbin case is plastic and metal bobbins will scar plastic and damage this part and then the correct bobbins won't work well. This machine does not use the clear plastic class 15 bobbins, it uses the SA156 - they are not the same. Over and over the manual says that if you use the wrong bobbins, poor thread, damaged or wrong needle, or thread the machine incorrectly (top or bottom) that you will have problems -- that is going to happen with ANY machine, not just this one. Forget some of the youtube videos that are poorly done and just read the manual! (You can download a copy directly from Brother and see for yourself how well it is written. I did that before I ordered the machine.) I watched a youtube video where a young lady was demonstrating how this machine works and I had to turn it off very quickly - she had it threaded wrong before she even got to the needle. It's sad that somehow the ones who follow that kind of information will blame Brother for a defect that didn't exist. I've only had the machine a few days, but I've read the manual from cover to cover and put this machine through every single stitch it does and it sews beautifully. I've tried it on knits and cottons. How it will hold up over extended use remains to be seen. Throughout the manual it is stated to use only the SA156 bobbin, good quality thread and the correct needle for the fabric you are sewing. 99% of all sewing problems are related to those three things as well as especially keeping the race area clean, so I repeat that advice because it matters. This machine sews beautiful buttonholes! The default needle position for the straight stitch is in the left position. Yes, that surprised me a little, but the basic foot (J) is also aligned to that position, so if your eyes follow the open line on the foot, that's where you will look. No straight stitch foot comes with the machine (I think those should be basic with EVERY machine, but at least it is available as an optional accessory). But, because there is no straight stitch foot, having the straight stich in the left needle position may help to eliminate skipped stitches on some fabrics. The straight stitch needle position can be moved from left to right by increments in the default stitch pattern (00)by adjusting the width setting - a convenient feature for sure! If you prefer the straight stitch in the center, just change to pattern 01, but keep in mind that the basic foot J has the thread slot to the left, so unless you change to a different foot that has the thread slot centered, this may actually annoy you. If you need a 1/4" seam, go to pattern 37 or 38 and the needle will be aligned properly to the edge of the basic foot (J) without needing to use a separate 1/4" foot. It can't be any simpler than that. I like that you can drop the feed dogs and control the sewing speed. (Now, if we could just get away from universal pressure and go back to mannual pressure adjustment I would be ecstatic!) I used a level on the extension table to adjust the feet and now it is very stable on my sewing table. One of the reasons I chose this machine was because it was light weight and easy to transport. It's not so complicated and loaded with things that I will never use yet it has so many useful stitches that it is beyond basic. I know that because it is lightweight there is less metal, but there is less metal in most of today's machines, even the pricey ones. One of the things I would advise is to buy a surge protector if you don't already have one and plug your machine into that. Computer elements are sensitive to power surges and this will protect your machine. Keep in mind that this machine only has a .65 amp motor. It's not built for heavy industrial sewing so don't expect it to. Depending on how well lit your work space is, you may want more light. There are two lights in this machine, both LED: one is right in front of the needle (love that!) and the other is on the left side of it. The machine's default position is needle down. You can change that to needle up if you prefer and then just use the needle down position for turning corners and such. That, too, is a really nice feature! This machine is so user-friendly! This is going to be one of my favorite machines to sew on. The machine can operate without the foot control (not something I will probably use), but there is something to be aware of about the way this foot control is designed. It's lightweight, too, and for someone who is dealing with physical problems that make it difficult to use their feet, try using the foot control under your arm. It works quite well that way. Thumbs up, Brother - you did a good job on this machine. I'd buy another in a heart beat! Note: I've since worked on a project that was a double layer of upholstery vinyl (embroidered edges). It never skipped a beat. I just used the the regular foot (J) and it worked beautifully. Normally, I would have used a teflon foot for this kind of work, but at present I don't have one for 7mm, but this machine handled the work just fine. (Another thumbs up!) 4/16/13 - Last week I finished the top to a baby's quilt that had a lot of applique in it. The stitches are amazingly perfect and consistently so. I could not be happier. This machine made it so easy to do! The more I use it, the more I like it!