Singer SEQS-6700 is absolutely feature packed, but all the features are not very user-friendly. It is like a lazy football player who has immense natural talent.
Singer SEQS-6700 Futura Quartet Main Features
- 215 Sewing stitches
- 125 Embroidery designs
- 20 Fonts for monogramming
- 6 x 10 inch hoop
Singer SEQS-6700 Futura Quartet Review
Sewing Machine Reviews Recommendation Level : MODERATE
SEQS-6700 is a quartet machine, which means it can do 4 things, namely sewing, embroidery, quilting and serging. There are machines that can do two things (sewing and embroidery or sewing and quilting), but a machine that can all 4 things are rare. It is like two combo machines combined into a single unit. SEQS-6700 is an advanced machine by all means. It is a huge investment, so all we want to know is whether it is good enough for that kind of money.
Now, Singer SEQS-6700 Futura machine is a huge unit (take my word for it). It has a throat of 8.25″ which is more than enough for accommodating large projects. Start/stop button is provided for sewing without the foot pedal. The speed control slider has a unique feature that starts sewing slowly and then it picks up the speed fairly quickly. The LED screen is pretty small for a machine of this size, to be honest.
The bobbin is easy to load drop-in type and it has a clear cover to see through. The clear cover will give you an idea about how much bobbin thread is remaining. The electronic twin needle function limits the stitch width when using a twin needle on decorative stitches to prevent needle breakage. The machine has drop feed as well. The extra high presser foot lifter is always handy while sewing multiple layers of fabric.
I have always been complaining about the brightness of sewing lights of Singer machines, which is not the case with this quartet machine. It has 6 LED lights which illuminates the work space quite well. There are two built-in spool pins (horizontal and vertical thread delivery really comes handy). The USB cord that comes with this machine is pretty long, which is a good thing (the machine won’t work with other USB cords). The machine can read FHE, XXX, JEF, CHE, HUS, PES, DST, SHV, PEC, EXP, VIP, PCS, PSW & SEW file formats.
The machine does have a retractable carry handle, but its heavy weight doesn’t allow you to pick it up that easily. The machine weighs around 24 pounds. Storage space is plenty on this machine. Machine accessories can be stored in the extension table compartment. There is another compartment for accessory storage as well.
Embroidery Features
The maximum hoop size is 10 x 6 inch. A smaller 4 x 4 hoop is also included. What makes this machine different from other embroidery machines is the ability to do multihooping. You can do designs up to 18 ½ x 11 inches in size. 125 embroidery designs are built-in. 20 fonts are available for monogramming.
Sewing Features
There are 215 built-in sewing stitches which includes 6 one-step buttonholes. Buttonholes include an endless buttonhole as well. 7mm is the maximum stitch width available on this machine. Automatic tension is another feature. The programmable needle up/down button makes pivoting easy. Automatic needle threader makes threading easy. You can cut the remaining thread with just the push of a button, thanks to the automatic thread cutter.
Softwares
There are a variety of editing softwares included. You will get AutoPunch™, HyperFont™ and Editing. AutoPunch™ converts clip art, logos and self-created designs into embroidery. HyperFont™ converts all TrueType fonts on your PC into embroidery. Advanced Editing allows you to edit existing embroidery designs
What you can do with these softwares and editing options
- Combine multiple designs into a single design file
- Embroidery design rotation in one degree increment
- Custom colors for threads
- Design resizing
- Horizontal or vertical flipping of designs
- Realistic design preview (much like the print preview on computers)
- Watch built-in tutorials
The variety of foot included is pretty impressive. It comes with 6 foot for a variety of purposes.
Usability
The build quality of Singer SEQS-6700 is pretty good, which is evident from the weight of the machine. It doesn’t look flimsy at all (it is not a $200 plastic machine after all). The serger part of the machine is bit of an exaggeration. It does finish the seam but it doesn’t do all the functions of a regular serger. It doesn’t do lockstitch. This is not a machine that will sew like a dream in the first attempt. There is a definite learning curve to it (same is the case with all Futura machines), especially while using embroidery features. You will be better of starting with scrap materials and then moving on to your real projects. Regular sewing is very good and it sews excellent stitches.
One thing I really liked about this machine is that you can see how much embroidery stitching is left, on the LED screen. Singer SEQS-6700 is reasonably quiet when compared to its competitors. Thread breaking and nesting issues in most cases will be operator error (as I have already pointed out that it requires a learning curve). Watch some YouTube videos for help. Included softwares are not very user-friendly, it will take some time to get the hang of it (It is outdated).
The sewing part of this machine is absolutely wonderful, it is the embroidery part that disappoints me, especially the learning curve associated with the softwares.
Limitations
There is no knee lifter included with Singer SEQS-6700. Yes, there is a slot provided for inserting one, but you will have to buy it separately. Knee lifter lifts the presser foot which allows you to pivot without taking your hands off the project. It is a must have feature for a machine of this price. Singer surely missed the trick there.
Another limitation is that the included softwares don’t work with Mac computers. It is compatible with Windows only. The machine also needs to be connected with a computer once the embroidery arm is attached. Computer is not required while doing regular sewing.
Pros
- Large hoops for large projects
- Feature packed
- Multi-hooping ability
- Additional thread holder
- USB connectivity
Cons
- No knee lifter
- No Mac support
- Softwares are not user-friendly
Is It Worth Buying ?
On paper, Singer SEQS-6700 is beast loaded with features. But in the practical world, it is not as easy to use as you would expect. The not so user-friendly softwares makes things even more difficult. You definitely need to spend some time understanding the features and controls on the machine. I can’t quite recommend this machine for beginners (for advanced sewers it is pretty good as they will pick up things rather quickly). For beginners I guess Brother PE770 would be a better option. It is inexpensive and is very user-friendly.