Review on Portable NEX Sewing Machine With 12 Built-In Stitches Ideal For Crafting And Mending by Que Wade

I have been sewing off and on for over 20 years. I am not a "professional" seamstress by any definition but am quite capable of creating clothing that does not have that telltale "homemade" look about it. This includes formalwear for special occasions and business suits which I have worn to court. I already own 2 full-sized machines and a serger. I ordered this NEX machine after reviewing features and reading innumerable reviews about it and several competitor models. My goal was to find a lightweight machine that I could take with me on trips, which could be capable of handling all the normal tasks of clothing construction, and which had a battery operated option in the event I was at a campsite or elsewhere without ready access to an electrical outlet. I admit to being a tad skeptical that ANY portable machine would really work but am pleasantly surprised by the NEX. I ordered it yesterday and it arrived this afternoon. The box was so light I thought for sure it contained something else. Score 1 star for being incredibly lightweight. Opened the box to discover a stitched "test swatch" pinned under the presser foot. Assumed this meant I had received someone else's non-functioning returned machine and expected the worst. But all the parts were present and professionally packaged and there were no other visible signs of prior use so I moved on. I loaded batteries into the unit then stopped to read the operating instructions. Pretty basic for anyone with a modicum of experience. Add another star. Next I checked to see that the bobbin was loaded and inserted correctly. It was in backwards so I flipped it over and pulled it through the plate without a problem. Add another star. Finally, I grabbed my own swatch of fabric and put the NEX through a quick test of every stitch using the footpedal. Thread tension was perfect and all the stitches came out just fine. No jams. 4th star. On my regular machine I often "speed sew" long seams. I don't think the NEX would be quite up to that.especially running on 4 AA batteries.but I don't consider that an unreasonable trade-off for the portability. I still need to test the bobbin winder, attempt a button hole, and see how well the machine holds up to typical use but for the moment I am quite pleased with the purchase.