A honest comparison between the two popular beginners sewing machines from Singer, the 7256 and 7258. Both are similar in price and features.

7256 and 7258 are the two best beginners sewing machines from Singer by some distance. Be it the features or the quality of stitches, these two models surpass all other beginners machines from Singer. That is the reason why 7258 recently won the Women’s Choice Award for the best home sewing machine in America. Both machines are very similar in specs and price. 7256 comes with FASHION MATE branding and 7258 comes with STYLIST branding. You don’t need to give any importance to the branding and stuffs, all are marketing gimmicks. What we need to worry about is the quality of the sewing machines. 7256 and 7258 are in high demand in U.S sewing machine market, so I thought it would be helpful to do a side by side comparison of both the machines, just to give you an idea about which one offers more in value and performance.

Singer 7256 Vs 7258 Feature Comparison

As I said earlier, both machines look identical except for the color and branding. You can make that out from the model numbers as well. At first we will be talking about the areas where both the machines differ from each other.

Built-In Stitches : 7258 comes with 100 built-in stitches which include 9 Basic, 8 Stretch, 76 Decorative and 7 Fully Automatic Buttonholes. Whereas 7256 comes with only 70 built-in stitches which include 8 Basic, 8 Stretch, 48 Decorative and 6 Fully Automatic Buttonholes. So it is pretty clear who the winner is.

Start/Stop Button & Speed Control : 7256 lacks the start/stop button and the speed control slider. The speed control slider lets you control the sewing speed. You can go in fast, medium and slow sewing speeds. So 7258 scores here as well. The start/stop button and the speed control slider makes 7258 a fully-computerized sewing machine.

Programmable Needle Up/Down : This is an essential feature for quilters. 7258 has this feature and 7256 doesn’t, a huge bummer to be honest.

Accessories : Here also, 7258 is the winner. Singer 7258 comes with 5 extra accessories than 7256.

Singer 7256 accessories

• All-Purpose Foot
• Zipper Foot
• Buttonhole Foot
• Blind Hem Foot
• Satin Stitch Foot

Singer 7258 accessories

• All-Purpose Foot
• Zipper Foot
• Buttonhole Foot
• Blind Hem Foot
• Satin Stitch Foot
• Overcasting Foot
• Darning / Freehand Embroidery Foot
• Gathering Foot
• Narrow Rolled Hem Foot
• Quarter Inch Foot

The below table will give an overview of all the features of 7256 and 7258. The difference is highlighted in red color for easy understanding.

Singer 7256 Vs 7258 Performance Comparison

Since 7258 is better than 7256 in features, it really reflects in its overall performance. The stitch quality is excellent. I am not saying that 7256 is inferior to 7258, but when you consider the ease of use, 7258 scores better.

Verdict

As you have already seen the difference in features between 7256 Vs 7258, it is pretty clear that 7258 offers more in value. Now it all comes down to the price. You must compare the prices before you buy. It would be a way better option to go for 7258 even if the price is few dollars more. The feature differences may not sound much, but it adds a lot to the creativity and ease of use. Moreover, 7258 is one of the best beginners sewing machine around. The quality of this machine is right up there with the best of the best, that is the reason why it won the Consumers Digest Best Buy Award.