I have been using this machine for a few months now. I have another Brother embroidery machine I love but needed something a bit more heavy duty as I was making a bemini top for my boat. This did the job as I did not want to purchase a heavy duty machine for one project. It struggled through a few thick layers but it got the job done. I use this on all sorts of fabrics as I also sew swimwear. Sewing through stretch nylon is a breeze with this machine. I have zero regrets purchasing this. Would definitely recommend

good machine for sewing unusual fabrics

When my old machine (a workhorse Viking) self-destructed during the Pandemic, I needed a machine for craft fabrics: rip-stop nylon, denim, Tyvek, feed bags, and so forth. I was skeptical that such an inexpensive machine as this could do that, but decided to risk it. This little machine has been great for this kind of sewing. It can go through layers of thick fabric as well as smoothly sew through plastic fabrics. It's also been good for clothing. Yeah, it could use a brighter light and more bobbins, but those things are fixable.

Very nice Mechanical machine

I have run 15,000+ yards of thread run thru this machine in the five months I have had it. I researched this one because I have to have a mechanical machine with more authority of the straight stitch. I most likely push this machine harder than the average user. In those 15.000+ yards every stitch has been perfect!

Love it!

Love it! This was an upgrade from my basic brother sewing machine and I couldn’t be happier. I mostly sew handbags and wallets, but also clothing sometimes. I needed something more powerful for my handbags but I can’t afford an industrial machine just yet. Had it about 5 months now, and so far this has been working great for me.

Terrible product

This machine is garbage and worse than the machine is the instruction booklet. The three dials on the top, including the tension wheel, they appear to do absolutely nothing. Changing them makes NO difference. It's the same super tight, super short stitch. Want to thread a bobbin? Aside from the crazy path you need to take, in the first place, the bobbin won't work anyway. The feed dogs don't hold anything, I have to guide everything with two hands or it just slip slides my fabric any which way. It makes this weird 'chunk' noise like a needle snapped even though it didn't. And I bought it to hem denim jeans, tho it struggles to get through them. I had a much lower end, much more basic Brother prior to this and it was so much easier to use. This machine is a waste of money. The idea is there but the execution is not. Like another reviewer said, sometimes it purrs along just fine but suddenly, it starts bird nesting my lower thread.

Amazing 🤩

This is the first sewing machine that i have owned. I was nervous at first thinking it might be too much for me to understand it use but i was wrong. I have never sewn before and this machine is very easy to understand and use. I did have to go on YouTube and find better instruction videos than their out of date video but once I found someone who took the time to tell me the names of each item, how to thread it properly and how to start out small on scraps of cloth, i was able to make my first bag two days later. Love it.

PLEASE READ BEFORE BUYING

The sewing machine is pretty. Worked the first two times. Seamed a preemie onesie then the stitching on the one side looked good and under was all tangled like in curls and the machine makes a loud banging noise.

You'll like this one. love the free arm and power!

I love this Brother sew machine! I've had my Kenmore for 21 years and the feed dog quit feeding the material. It was a good one. I researched sewing machine for a week before settling on this one. Great power, feels good to my hands. The needle was in the R position instead of middle, where I use it most all the time. I found how to change it: Go to the Stitch Width dial, and I put mine between 3/4. As long as you have your Pattern Selection Dial on 2/20 it will be a straight stitch. Hope that helps. I've used it within 2 hrs of delivery today. Came in 4 days from ordering. Great shape.

step above lite machines

my old machine was good for thin material but couldn't handle jeans. got this and watched dvd. went straight to replacing my heavy coat zipper. no problem. has a zipper foot that made it easier .

Good Machine

I was about to give up on my new Brother ST371 sewing machine - it seemed to have the same problems as my Project Runway machine - 'bird nesting' on the bobbin, broken stitched, uneven stitching. But after talking with an experienced quilter and explaining my broken seams problem, she helped me through. It is important to change the needles frequently (I change mine every couple of projects) and make sure you are using a good quality thread that 'matches' with the fabric you are using. In the beginning, I was skipping these steps - my old Kenmore machine was a victim of my ignorance. Since using the tips from a 'quilting pro', I'm happy with my ST371 machine - it has all the stitches I'll need and I've bought various 'feet' to help increase this machines usefulness. I am mainly a hobbyist and have tackled cat beds, Halloween costumes, and clothes for family members with good results.

Better than someI boug

I bought my machine from Hobby Lobby just a few months ago. Since day one the upper thread will constantly pull out no matter what tension it's on. Annoying but I can deal. Now the machine skips stitches. I have changed the needle, changed the thread, constantly rethread the machine and it just randomly decides to skip stitches. I have done the tension and stitch lengths as well. I can understand it skipping stitches when I am sewing a top stitch over a bag where I have multiple layers including marine vinyl and foam but it stitches perfectly. No hesitations at all. Then i go to make a mask with bias tape, just two thin pieces of cotton and store bought bias tape and it skips stitches like mad. Yes i have re set the machine tension and stitch length and changed to a fresh needle since i don't need a large needle. This is the most annoying thing about this machine. I almost wish i didn't buy it

Brother good quality sewing machine

I recently replaced my Mom's 1960's era Singer machine (that weighs about a thousand pounds) with this one. We are using the Brother to sew masks. So far, its functioning very well. It is quite different from the Singer, so I am having a bit of a learning curve with a new machine and the placement of features. Getting used tothe threading and the bobbin winding will take me some time to learn-it does seem a bit complicated. When I did the bobbin winding, it got wound around the spindle towards the end and I had to unwind it be hand-so a bit of a pain for me. The needle threading instuctions were inadequate and so was very frustrating to try to make it work, but I finally did it. Its faster for me to just do it manually! The light is not as bright as the Singer so I use a lamp nearby for more light. There are a lot of accessories included and a great place to store them-rhat is a real plus. I like the idea of a handle on top, but its a bit awkward with the thread holder/spindle in the middle of it-but that is minor. It will hold a large spool of thread as it can move up and down to accomodate the size of spool. Has a cap that keeps it from flying off the spool-thats a great feature. It sews several thicknesses of fabric and elastic pretty well and feeding thru ok with a bit of coaxing. So over all a great sewing machine that I would recommend.

DO NOT BUY

If I ever own a machine that performs worse than this one, I'd be surprised! I am truly, utterly, and wholeheartedly saddened, disappointed, and upset that this machine is as useless as it is. I have had the worst possible experience with this machine. Prior to this machine I was sewing with another Brother machine for the past 10 years (and it was a dream!). I've watched every video/tutorial/read the manual and still have many issues with the machine. One minute it "can" get through a simple (2 cotton pieces) pleat, another minute it can't get past anything. I steam press all my pleats before sewing to minimize bulk and sometimes it's fine, others not so much. I'm using the same fabric/ materials over and over and over and the machine spontaneously chooses when it wants to perform well. YES, I have the correct foot on, YES, I have tried the different sized needles, YES, I have adjusted my thread tension. The top thread comes undone a zillion times, back stitching is a nightmare, the thread tension auto adjusts as well. One minute its beautiful, crisp and perfect, and the next minute it's skipping threads, loose, and bunching up on the bottom - even when I'm sewing on the same two pieces of material (same project). I just can't seem to get this machine to run consistently and perform the way I had hoped it would.

[Rewarded Review] I'm in love with this machine!

I will admit, I am not the spectacular seamstress that I wish I could be, but this machine has honestly been such an eye opener for me! I have tried other machines before and felt so overwhelmed with everything, it felt like I was destined to hand sew things for the rest of my life. However, when this Brother machine arrived, I was truly amazed. Right out of the box it was so simple to set up and use. Instructions were very clear and included not only written instructions, but a DVD as well. I don't have the best eyesight, so the brightness of the light with the ease of the auto threading needle won me over right away. It made everything else frustration free and I could focus on my project! I love that there are many more stitching options than I have seen before on a manual machine and I can't say enough about the heavy duty spring action foot! I tested it on a thick piece of canvas fabric and it took on the job with ease without jamming or dropping stitches! With the bobbin thread cutter and seam/thread cutter near the needle, I feel like I didn't really need to supply any of my own tools which is a big win for me. Overall, I believe this machine is perfect whether you're more of a novice like myself or a seasoned pro. I think anyone can enjoy it's many easy to use features.

+2 more

[Rewarded Review] My best machine so far

I just received my machine yesterday and it came just right in time for my fleece project. I made a reversible poncho with hoodie with it for my toddler. I started it with my regular Brother sewing machine and with fleece and it being double layer was too hard on the machine, but with ST371HD it went smoother because the presser foot lifts high allowing thicker fabric to glide easier. I also attempted to test the "strong and sturdy" but actually was scared to break the needle. I only did two layers of denim from my scrap fabrics and it worked nicely, which means I can now confidently do alterations of my pants with no issues. I would like to emphasize that this is not industrial machine but a strong and sturdy sewing machine for home use so don't expect beyond that.

[Rewarded Review] Great Starter Sewing Machine for a Novice!!

I just started using this machine. So far I really like it but I can’t actually compare it to other machines as I haven’t sewn anything since high school when it was a required “thing” to learn. I’m now close to retirement so decided this would be a good thing for me to do during my retirement years. My sister in law is excellent at sewing just about anything from clothing to upholstery and she recently bought a new but more expensive Brother sewing machine and loves it, so I was encouraged by her this would be a good thing for us to do together. Well I took it out of the box and was almost immediately intimidated. LOL! She assured me it was because I hadn’t sewn in 46 years! I haven’t sewn much with it at this point…..mostly just getting the hang of it on scraps of different materials but I think that once I get the hang of it I’ll love this machine and its capabilities will probably be more than I’ll ever need. I believe it’s a perfect sewing machine for a beginner and for the cost of it. I’ve been able to sew through multiple layers of denim and I’ve actually experimented with and succeeded to sew through several different types of fabrics with ease. I’m mostly just familiarizing myself with all that it does. I attempted to do button holes without much success but my sister in law is going to teach me more. I like that it doesn’t weigh a ton like my mother’s did but wish it would have come with a case. I’ll buy one of those but for now I just put it back in the box that it came in. I like that it has a handle on top for moving around. All in all I think my Brother Sewing machine and I will become like Brother and Sister and friends for a life time.

[Rewarded Review] You must take the time to learn about this machine

I was very excited to receive this machine as I had been looking for a new sewing machine for a couple of years. My old machine was usable but, for some bizarre reason, it required oiling every single time I used it. That kept me from starting new projects, and I usually only sewed when it was an emergency. When reading over the manual for this new machine I discovered that the first thing I was going to love about it was that according to manufacturer instructions, the user is never to oil the machine! This machine has an interesting name, the "Brother 37-Stitch Strong and Tough Sewing Machine, ST371HD". So, my first project was to hem a heavy quilted pad that I cover my recliner with when the dog is in the house. It had begun to fray on one side and was in decent shape other than that. As it is a heavy fabric, I had been hesitant to use the old machine. This machine sailed through the repair as though it was a shirt-weight fabric! I said in the review heading that you need time to learn this machine. That is because it comes with a thick manual, several other pages of info as well as a instructional CD. Oh, by the way, it has a self threading needle attachment!!

[Rewarded Review] Pretty good Sewing Machine

I was pretty excited to get this Brother Sewing Machine from the Spark Reviewer Program as I really love sewing machines. Overall, I like this one pretty much!

[Rewarded Review] Sewing machine works well on heavy duty fabric

The Brother 37-Stitch Strong and Tough Sewing Machine has lived up to its name-strong and tough. The first project I used it on was hemming blue jeans. Past machines that I have owned have struggled with sewing through the layers of denim that you encounter when you hem jeans-skipping stitches and breaking needles. This machine sewed easily and beautifully even through the thickness at the seams. I also used it in sewing on some stretchy jersey material and found it fed the material evenly and without stretching resulting in very smooth seams and no puckering. I have experimented with several of the decorative stitches and have been pleased with all I have tried. I have an older Brother machine that used the buttonhole attachment for darning. This machine you just drop your feed dog and take off the presser foot for totally free feeding by hand. It was not as easy at first but I liked it better once I got the hang of it as I could darn any size area I needed. The machine is heavy and appears to have more metal parts than so many of the new machines so that makes it seem more durable to me. It is easy to thread, change bobbins and change stitches. I am very pleased with this machine and would highly recommend it. Written by retiredfarmerbob's wife.

[Rewarded Review] Sews through heavy materials like butter

Wow! That’s how I would describe the Brother 37-Stitch Strong and Tough Sewing Machine, ST371HD. This machine is amazing. I have sewn for over 25 years and whenever I tried to sew heavier materials like denim it felt like my regular machine was about to break. I had to push the material through, and often back up and go again, repeatedly until I maybe was able to complete the part I was working on. I never would have attempted to sew more than two layers of denim or other heavy materials together at one time because my normal machine wouldn’t be able to do it. Not so with the Brother 37-Stitch Strong and Tough Sewing Machine, ST371HD. I sewed through the four layers of denim shown in the picture below all at one time and it felt like I was sewing lightweight material instead of two hems of denim, again all I can say is wow. This machine impressed me greatly not only at it’s power and ability to sew heavy fabrics, but also at how lightweight it is. The machine weighs less than my Husqvarna machine, is very attractive looking, and yet is a workhorse sewing machine. Whether you are looking for an entry level machine, or something to do heavier projects, the Brother 37-Stitch Strong and Tough Sewing Machine, ST371HD is the machine for you and deserves my highest recommendation.