SINGER Brilliance 6180: Portable Sewing Machine: Full Review

The Singer Brilliance 6180 is a portable sewing machine aimed at beginners and intermediate sewers looking for an affordable and user-friendly model. This lightweight machine offers several useful features while maintaining a budget-friendly price point.

With 60 built-in stitches, an automatic needle threader, easy stitch selection, and 6mm stitch width, the Brilliance 6180 provides ample options for basic sewing and mending projects. Its free arm facilitates sewing cylindrical items like sleeves and pant legs. At under 15 pounds, this compact sewing machine can be easily transported and stored.

While it may lack some of the more advanced features of high-end machines, the Brilliance 6180 offers good value for those seeking an entry-level device with enough functionality for simple garment construction and alterations. Its lightweight design and variety of built-in stitches make this model a practical choice for beginners learning to sew as well as more experienced sewers needing a secondary portable machine.

Design and Appearance

The Singer Brilliance 6180 is a compact and lightweight sewing machine, making it easy to move around or store away. It measures approximately 15.5 x 6.5 x 12 inches and weighs around 13 pounds, so it doesn't take up too much space.

The Brilliance 6180 comes in an attractive white and gray color scheme that looks modern and sleek. The body is mostly white plastic with some gray accents, and the sewing bed is a light gray. There are no other color options available.

Overall, the streamlined design and modest footprint of the Singer Brilliance 6180 make it a good option if you need a portable sewing machine that can be tucked away neatly when not in use. The classic white and gray color scheme gives it an approachable yet contemporary look.

Additionally, the SINGER M2100FR: Sewing Machine offers versatile features for both beginners and experienced sewers. Its user-friendly interface includes a variety of built-in stitches, allowing for creative freedom when sewing different materials. Compact yet sturdy, the M2100FR is designed with a lightweight body and a powerful motor, ensuring consistent performance. This machine is an excellent choice for those who appreciate ease of use without sacrificing quality or reliability.

Features

The Singer Brilliance 6180 sewing machine comes with 80 built-in stitches including basic, stretch, decorative, and buttonhole stitches giving you plenty of options for your sewing projects. It has an automatic needle threader that threads the needle for you with just the push of a lever, making setup quick and easy. The free arm allows for easy sewing of cuffs, sleeves, and pant legs. There are adjustable stitch length and width controls so you can customize your stitches. The 6180 offers 6mm stitch width and 5mm stitch length. With the top drop-in bobbin, jam resistant Quickset makes bobbin threading a breeze. An automatic tension system ensures stable stitch quality across different fabrics. This machine comes with a variety of included accessories such as buttonhole foot, zipper foot, button sewing foot, seam ripper/lint brush, edge/quilting guide, pack of needles, bobbins, screwdriver, auxiliary spool pin, spool pin felt, soft-sided dust cover, and instructional DVD.

The SINGER 3337FR: Simple Sewing Machine is an excellent choice for beginners looking to learn sewing basics. It features 37 built-in stitches, including essential utility and decorative stitches, which provide versatility for various projects. The machine is designed with user-friendly controls, making it easy to select stitches and adjust settings. Additionally, the lightweight and portable design allows for easy transport, while the automatic needle threader simplifies setup, making it perfect for those just starting their sewing journey.

Ease of Use

The Singer Brilliance 6180 is designed to be user-friendly for both beginners and experienced sewers. The setup process is straightforward with an easy-to-follow instruction manual. The machine comes with all necessary accessories like bobbins, needles, foot pedal, power cord, and more right in the box so you can get sewing right away.

The controls on the machine are intuitive and easy to navigate. There are clear markings for stitch length, stitch width, and stitch type. The top drop-in bobbin is very simple to thread. There is a one-step buttonhole function that takes the guesswork out of buttonholes. An automatic needle threader is also included to make threading the needle hassle-free.

Some helpful accessories that come with the machine are a zipper foot, buttonhole foot, button sewing foot, seam ripper/lint brush, edge/quilting guide, pack of needles, spool caps, and screwdriver. These accessories allow you to tackle a variety of sewing projects with ease. An extension table is also included to provide a larger flat work surface.

Overall, the Singer Brilliance 6180 sewing machine delivers on being highly user-friendly and easy to operate even for someone just learning how to sew. The intuitive controls, useful accessories, easy setup process and threading make this a great choice for beginners or experienced sewers looking for simplicity.

Sewing Performance

The SINGER Brilliance 6180 portable sewing machine delivers excellent sewing performance for the price. It produces high quality stitches on a range of fabrics from lightweight cottons to heavier denim.

The 6180 has 60 built-in stitches to choose from including utility, stretch, decorative, heirloom and buttonhole stitches. It sews at a maximum speed of 800 stitches per minute, which is decent for basic sewing tasks. The stitch length and width are adjustable so you can customize settings for your project.

Many users mention the machine sews smoothly without skipped stitches, even when sewing multiple layers of fabric like quilting. It provides enough piercing power to stitch through heavy denim or canvas without issues. The feed dogs grip lightweight silky material well to prevent slippage or puckering on seams.

The 6180 does a nice job with straight stitching and produces even, consistent stitch quality. The machine handles curved seaming, topstitching and edgestitching without a problem. It also effectively handles stretch fabrics and knits without skipped stitches, producing nice looking seams that lie flat.

The automatic buttonhole stitching on the 6180 consistently produces uniform buttonholes for shirts, jackets and other projects. There are several buttonhole styles to choose from.

Overall, the sewing performance of the SINGER 6180 makes it a great choice for sewing apparel, home decor items, crafts and mending projects with all types of fabrics. It provides reliability and stitch quality comparable to more expensive machines.

Noise Level

The SINGER Brilliance 6180 portable sewing machine runs relatively quietly while operating. The internal mechanics produce a low humming sound that is not too distracting. This makes it easy to watch TV or have a conversation while sewing without straining to hear over the machine.

Some users may find the noise level slightly high for late night sewing sessions where others are sleeping nearby. But in general, the volume is comparable to other portable machines and should not be an issue for most.

This model lacks advanced noise dampening features sometimes seen on pricier machines. However, the plastic housing does muffle some of the vibration and sound. Sewing at high speeds increases the volume slightly, but remains within reasonable levels. Placing the machine on a rubber mat can further reduce reverberation and audible humming if desired.

Overall, while not the absolute quietest portable machine available, the SINGER 6180 operates at acceptable noise levels for home sewing and should not disturb others in close proximity. Those highly sensitive to sound may want to consider a machine with built-in noise reduction, but most users will find the volume unobtrusive.

Warranty

The Singer Brilliance 6180 comes with a limited 25-year warranty. This covers the sewing machine head, which includes the motor, light assembly, wiring, switches, speed control and electronic components. The warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship when the machine is used for normal home sewing.

The warranty does not cover failure due to negligence, abuse, improper maintenance, alterations, connection to improper voltage supply, or damage during shipping. Normal wear, user maintenance, lubrication and adjustments are also not covered.

Overall, the 25-year warranty provides good coverage for the key components of the machine for defects and workmanship issues. Just be aware of the limitations and exclusions to make sure any problems that arise will be covered under the warranty terms.

Pros

The SINGER Brilliance 6180 portable sewing machine has several excellent features that make it a great choice for home sewing.

• User-friendly design: The 6180 is thoughtfully designed for ease of use. It has easy threading, a free arm, and automatic needle threader. These features make it simpler for beginners to get started sewing.

• Excellent stitch quality: This machine produces nice, even stitches on a range of fabrics. The stitch length and width are adjustable to achieve your desired results. Reviewers say it sews smoothly without skipped stitches.

• Variety of built-in stitches: With 80 built-in stitches, you'll have plenty of options for basic sewing as well as decorative techniques like applique, satin stitching and more. The stitches are clearly marked on the machine.

• Good for lightweight projects: The 6180 works especially well for sewing lightweight fabrics like cotton, linens, etc. Many users say it handles thin material better than heavier fabrics. So it's ideal for projects like clothing, quilting and crafts.

Cons

While the Singer Brilliance 6180 is a solid entry-level sewing machine, it does have some drawbacks to be aware of:

• Limited stitch selection - The 6180 only offers 6 basic stitches. More advanced sewers will quickly find this limiting for decorative work.

• Presser foot pressure issues - Some users report the presser foot pressure is too light, resulting in skipped stitches, especially on thicker fabrics. This requires careful adjustment.

• Small throat space - The distance between the needle and machine body is only 5.5 inches. This can make sewing larger projects like quilts more difficult.

• No speed control - The 6180 only sews at one speed. Having adjustable sewing speed can help with control when learning.

• No automatic needle threading - It has easy threading but it's manual. An automatic needle threader makes threading much simpler.

• Noise level - The 6180 is louder than some other entry-level machines. The noise can be distracting for some.

• No free arm - The 6180 does not offer a removable extension table to allow free arm sewing. This can limit functionality for certain tasks.

So while it has excellent ease of use and is very affordable, the Singer Brilliance does lack some convenience features and versatility more advanced sewers may desire. Carefully consider if the limited stitch selection and presser foot pressure issues will be problematic for your needs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Singer Brilliance 6180 portable sewing machine is a strong contender for home sewing enthusiasts and beginners alike. Its sleek, lightweight design makes it easy to transport and store. Key features like automatic needle threading, a top drop-in bobbin, and 60 built-in stitches provide convenience and versatility for all types of projects. While it may lack some of the more advanced features of heavy duty or computerized machines, it offers excellent value given its affordable price point.

The Brilliance 6180 performs well on a range of fabrics from lightweight cottons to thicker fabrics like denim. It sews smoothly and quietly, without a lot of vibration. The stitch quality is consistent and it handles multiple layers without difficulty. The free arm allows for easier sewing of cuffs, sleeves, and pant hems. While the LED light could be brighter, it adequately illuminates the sewing area.

Overall, this Singer sewing machine represents a solid, budget-friendly choice for beginners and casual sewers. It's user-friendly, portable, and equipped with enough features to handle basic sewing, mending, and alterations. The Brilliance 6180 deserves strong consideration by anyone seeking an entry-level machine with good performance.