Good reviews got me to buy this machine
340211
Good reviews got me to buy this machine. No, this toy.
I know better than to buy Black & Decker products. There was a time when their tools were good and could be depended upon.
But that was then and this is now.

This thing worked well for almost 3 oranges (5 halves).
After that, it couldn't decide which way to turn and just chattered in place.
Before returning it, I took off the bottom plate to see if it could be fixed. This really is a cheap product. $15 cheap and junk cheap.
The white plastic bottom contains a tiny shaded pole motor (the cheapest type of motor there is), plastic gears and a piece of sheet metal that gets bent when you push the orange down. That's all, folks. OK, it's cheap to buy, but it's NOT going to last.

Take a look at the Dash Dual Citrus Bar for $5 more. Still junk by past standards, but acceptable for today.
3872335
I've had this machine for nearly three weeks now and I've used it nearly every day.  It's almost as well built as much more expensive machines and I feel like I get a very good workout.  The only drawback is that it makes more noise than I think it should.  I'm going to buy some of the lubricant that is recommended to see if it solves the problem.  The squeaking noise isn't intolerable.  I feel that I made a good investment.
1605470
I haven't used the machine as much as I have my older ones, but I am very impressed after a few weeks of ownership.  For the price of this machine, there are a great many functions that work as well or better than my machines that cost several thou.  Needle up/down button, thread cutter, 15 needle positions, programmable decorative stitch, good lighting, more feet than I expected including a walking foot, you don't have to oil it, the motor purrs as it stitches, and there's room in the belly compartment for almost all attachments that came with it, .  (I could not fit the extra spool pin, and of course no one should try to fit the foot controller, in that small compartment.)

It also does not appear to be picky about what kinds of thread I use, and I have tested that.  It handles everything from old, slubby, brittle cotton thread to thin embroidery thread without fussing.

This is not an embroidery machine, however, but feed dogs do lower for free motion embroidery if someone has the talent.  I haven't yet tested that for free motion quilting, but that's on my near future list.  I'll try to update the review as I learn more about it.
329437
I generally will not by refurbished from online as you never know what you will be buying.  I took a chance on this purchase and am pleased so far.

A few things to note about this machine. First, it is NOT difficult to thread. If you have used sergers or overlocks before with frequency, you will find this machine to thread much the same as others. There is a color guide to help with theading for those unfamiliar with this type of machine.

Second, it is a bit noisy.  I have my machine sitting on a work table with a hollow area underneath and it does not absorb the vibration from the machine, making it a bit loud.  Still working on that issue, but this is not a manufacturer problem.

The setting of tension is easy enough and I recommend you do not rely on the settings it arrives with.

If you are purchasing this machine refurbished, buy from Kens Sewing Center. Honest and realistic and he sent along a certificate of guarantee for one year - rare for a used machine.

Good machine for beginners and good for those us needing a replacement for the old worn out work horses :)
1139651
This machine is ready to use almost right from the box.  You need a phillips screwdriver for 3 screws and everything else snaps into place...perfect for the Mechanically Challenged such as ME. My sweetheart says; "There must be more to assembly", yes... it is that easy and the Alpha Male is disappointed that it does not take hours.  The quick start instructions are perfect and have step by step pictures (that made me happy) and note the screws are taped to the handle so please don't go through everything again and again looking for them....Bissell thought everything out and made this EASY.

We started up the machine and worked on a dog urine stain, and this machine does as promised. Actually, it works as good as the professional cleaner we normally rent. It is easy to move when cleaning and the unit is self contained. The solution smells good too.  There are tools for steps and furniture, and I don't believe I would any more than what is supplied. I like the fact that the water heats contineously.  I have 3 dogs (yes..I am dog crazy) so we will use this quite a bit.

In the future I will update this review as I am eager to see if all this dog hair does not clog the machine.  The instructions do say to vaccum ahead of cleaning and we have a Dyson Animal Hair vaccum (also recommend to all pet lovers).

SO far this is a great product....Highly recommend.

Update: We cleaned all the carpets downstairs, our family room has the highest traffic from dogs and people, it was really dirty but looks great when we were done. We worked on a few stains which are resolved.  The hot water seems to enhance the cleaning but the cleaning solution does seem to go quickly, so stock up. When we went to put the steamer away, there was dog hair still laying within the front part, I used a wire, hooked it and the hair was removed easily.  My husband thought it would be better to unscrew the front and remove it, 20 minutes later he was done.  I suggest the wire method, also clean this unit completely before putting away and it should serve you well for a long time.

Update:10-14-13...My brother borrowed this machine and when he brought it back he said he told his wife to go buy one.  That's how impressed he was with this machine. BTW...he lives on a farm and all the dirt that goes with it.

Very happy with this product.
3172497
I absolutely love this Machine. I was going for the industrial machine at first but too much of a hassle if your not a business and I'm glad I bought this one instead. Used it several times already. Happy with my purchase.
3643818
I have had this machine for about six weeks and havn't had the opportunity to sew many projects on it but was happy with the ability to handle thick seams on the one project I did do.  Easy to fill the bobbin and thread the machine.  Easy to use the different stitch options.  Does run a little loud but I am used to that.  Haven't tried the button holer yet but that will be my next test. I would recommend this machine to my friends.  Also, the price was great.  I do some upholstery and that is why I opted for the heavy duty machine.  I had literally ruined my featherweight Singer sewing upholstery fabrics on it. Very happy with my purchase.
2875762
Great machine, easy to use. And customer support was terrific.
3733852
I love the machine I tossed and turned for days deciding on spending the money on it, so far I've used it twice lol but it works great lol
3835464
Love it! Love it! Love it! Best machine money can buy!
2485393
I acquired this machine as a gift from my sons about a year ago.  It was purchased used from someone who, apparently, didn't use it much and left it out in the weather.  I could see where this could happen as the machine has a good sized footprint.  I've been fooling with bicycles as a hobby for a good many years and am an avid "round-the-blocker".  The trike's been in the cellar since last christmas due to my being a little hesitant to fool with it but the day recently arrived and I started twisting wrenches and got the little bit of going over she needed done. This machine is not fancy but every thing fits together pretty well and she didn't resist my ministrations.  As of tonight she was up and running so, after work, I took 'er around the block.  I've never owned a trike but have read a little about their handling oddities.  After a couple of miles, I can say that awareness of road camber is necessary.  The trike operated smoothly, the gear ratio making it pleasant to pedal while being able to go along at a fair clip. The driveline operated very smoothly.  I had lubricated the driveshaft but the rest was weathered factory and still worked well.  The machine drives off the right side, the right rear wheel being solidly mounted to the shaft while the left rear freewheels on pressed bearings.  The riding position is "crank forward" and I found it more advantageous to sit upright to steer (and one does steer vs. ride this machine).  She has the old-fashioned pull-back style bars which I positioned slightly up from level.  The length of the trike and the length of the bars give a decidedly tiller-like feeling to steering.  The streets were quiet tonight so I didn't get myself into trouble but a little dedicated practice doesn't seem like a bad idea before going going out on a normal traffic day.  Overall, the machine isn't half bad and is kind of a hoot to ride.  Mine was used but the "new" price is reasonable and likely, with good assembly and proper storage, should offer good service to its owner
4843446
I've had the 431 for about 7 weeks. I've used it daily about one hour/day.

It took about 3 hours to put together. the price and delivery were fine. I used white grease everywhere.

I had some slight squeaks, but the machine is generally quiet. It does make a little noise just from the moving parts. I do recommend tightening the bolts for the arm handles on both sides just to the point where they don't move, and just snugging the bolts on the foot pedals where they attach to the flywheel. you'll need to tweak and tighten occasionally-depending on how much you use it. also grease, grease, grease. lots of moving parts here.

I am hugely into fitness. this is better than running and far lower impact. it's nice working out in your own home too. my abds and obliques seem to be tightening, something I also wasn't getting running.

I'll use this machine for as long as it lasts. next time, I may get a more expensive one but this is fine for now.
3699219
I have had my eye on this machine for around a year.  When my 15 year old Janome started to have issues, I decided it was time for an upgrade.  There are lots of things to love about this machine and one HUGE con.  But first, the good.  It has tons of features that you usually only find in a higher end machine.  I especially love the thread cutter and the needle threader.  Both work well and are easy to use.  The machine is fairly intuitive in terms of finding the stitch that you want to use.  Combining two decorative stitches is easy as well.  You do need to read the manual, haha, it's not intuitive for everything.  I like that when you select a stitch it tells you what foot to use.  It came with a good variety of feet so you don't have a huge expenditure right away if you want to quilt or so other things.  There are other feet available but this is a very, very good assortment to start out with.  The machine see quietly and the stitches are nice.  I had to play around with the alignment a bit but the manual tells you what to do and it is pretty easy.  Now, this is the reason I didn't give the machine five stars.  The description says it has 800 decorative stitches.  Let me tell you, that is a HUGE LIE.  It has about 100 decorative stitches.  They consider every variation of a stitch to be a different stitch.  NO OTHER COMPANY DOES THAT.  I looked at a Janome that had 100 stitches and it had 100 DIFFERENT stitches, with who knows how many variations.  If I had know that bit of information I would not have gotten this machine.  I love decorative stitches and use them a lot, so that was a huge selling point for me.  But once I got the machine and started using it I decided to go ahead and keep it.  If you do not care about the decorative stitches or 100 or so is enough for you, then this is a nice, full featured machine.  But if you think you are getting a ton of decorative stitches you are not.
942145
This machine is a great new home machine and is perfect for what i need it to do.
4932670
Quality machine, I keep it on the counter and use it at least 2ce a week.
Read and follow the instructions and take your time - it's worth the price.
2647694
This machine was a nice machine, I thought that it was what I wanted, but I want a bigger machine. Thanks
722641
I did not buy this product yet; but, did put >100 hours on it at my health club. It was easily my favorite piece of equipment. Not boring like the bikes, treadmills, standard elipticals and steppers were for me. I can't speak to this vendor or to the condition of any particular used one. I do know they were built very well and should easily outlast several long term users. At the club they generally saw 4-6 hours per day of use and held up solid for at least 2 years when some refurbishment was needed to take a little slop/clunk out of a few of them (they had 4). Then they move them along for the next new thing, to keep things interesting.

It wasn't everyone's favorite because it requires you to learn to control your motion with its floating sensation. At first one will feel like they will stumble once they get tired and sloppy. Also, some did not want to appear clumsy, as they mastered it, in public. On the up side it improves all the muscles and reactions you need to be stable while you toil away. I felt very solid on my feet after getting some time in on this machine, very nice indeed.

I am in the market for a used one now. I do need to know I will not find any clunks in it. I don't care if it has 10,000 hours on it as long as it has been gone over (refurbished) within the last 1000 hours.