I bought this machine 7 years ago after giving my wife’s old machine to my daughter. I am male and did not think I had any use for a sewing machine. I found myself needing to make covers for my power tools and motorcycle so not knowing anything about sewing I bought the cheapest machine I could find. I practised sewing straight lines and getting tension set on light canvas. I broke allot of needles and picked allot of thread out of the shuttle. I did things that I should not have been able to do like sewing heavy nylon webbing straps to the bottom of the canvas covers. But I did not realize that inexpensive machines should not do this. I have probably sewn 70 or 80 linear feet which is nothing for a regular user but I can pull this out of the closet once a year and do all the sewing I need without having to reread the book and put it back and it always works and runs very quiet and smooth. The only thing I noticed is that starting out on heavy fabric slowly is difficult because it wants to stall. My wife’s old machine use to run all the time and the pedal acted like a clutch so you had power no matter how slow you went but it was to heavy to pull out and put away.

This machine is easy to thread and use, however I've found it to be quite fussy. With every change of fabric, you spend a lot of time fiddling around with the tension, trying different stitches, testing and re-testing just to get a decent straight stitch. It takes more time to fiddle around with it than to actually sew a seam. I used to own a Janome My style and it would sew just about anything perfectly with little adjustment. Sadly I had to sell it because I moved overseas. I am borrowing this machine from a friend who barely uses it, I'm glad I didn't buy it.

I bought this used, off Craigslist, but it was almost new, she had not enjoyed sewing. I threaded it easily without reading the manual, and stitched samples of the many different stitches. All turned out nicely, and this is my fifth sewing machine (I am a professional designer and seamstress) on hand, and I got it for the price $40 and the ease of carrying around (my others are heavy, metal, professional models). Nice for beginner, or casual sewing. No leather, plastic, etc. Just nice soft cottons, chiffon, etc. It's a breeze! www.EnchantedMirror.com

Very good for begginers and cheap!! Very happy with this machine.

The Brother LS-1520 is a really nice machine for the price. The stitch quality is good, and the machine is simple and easy-to-use. I have been able to teach several people how to sew on this machine. More importantly, it has been able to hold up to the rigors of costuming and student use for several years!

My mother bought this Brother sewing machine for me 6 years ago while I was still in high school when I was a beginner. I generally like my machine. I have since lost the small box of attachments and parts that came with the machine. I am now searching ALL OVER the internet to find compatible parts. I recommend this model for beginners but do not advise for a seasoned sewer.

Only set the machine up to try it but was very disappointed with the quality of the stitches and overall quality, flimsy, too much plastic. The manufacturers seem concerned only with appearances not practicality. Built to a low price and is reflected in performance. Our old machine (several years old) stopped working due to the only plastic(nylon?) gear breaking.Have since found out from Brother that all their domestic sewing machines are made with plastic/nylon gears. You would not know this unless you asked.
Situation now resolved, have bought a replacement gear for the old machine made in metal-perfect!
Fortunately, Argos gave us a refund on the Brother machine.