The O Sew Hand Held Sewing Machine has a single thread and single speed. It's perfect for on the spot repairs and much more. There is a thread bag included. Its suitable for silk, denim, wool, leather and much more. Bonus items include bobbins, needles, thread spindle, and threader. Use only on fabric and paper. 2 x AA batteries required but not included. Remove batteries when not in use for prolonged periods of time.
Yeah I knew someone who had the same one and whilst it’s a great idea but not easy to use from what I saw. I think it’s great for very quick instant fixes - fixing a hem that’s loose before school etc. I personally don’t think it would be good for denim or leather as they advertise… I think the needle would just snap and wouldnt rely on this machine to use on leathers.
I have a similar one.
It works, but it's tricky to setup and get the hang of it.
I wouldn't use it for anything where the stitching will be exposed and seen as it's hard to get it even and looking great. But it's great for hidden stitching as it's way faster than sewing by hand.
I used it to tailor shirts to make them slim fit. Since this stitching is hidden, it's ideal for this.
I bought one of these when they first came out, 30 odd years ago. I used it once (to test) and it's been in the box ever since. A complete waste of time, and totally unsuited to the small range of tasks you'd actually want to use such a machine for. Even for free it'll just end up in land-fill. Don't bother.
'… 30 odd years ago'
Erm, sheesh dcash, 30 years is a long time when it comes to gadgets/tech. Might your post be a bit like a hypothetical one about mobile phones?:
'I bought a mobile phone "30 odd years ago", and it was huge, heavy, didn't hold charge, dropped out all the time, and the bills were expensive (etc./blah blah/more 3 decades old outdated sentiments). Don't bother."
That said, I guess the huge price reduction indicates that there's essentially no market for a gadget like this.
The single thread hand held sewing machine has not undergone any advances in "tech" in the 30 years since I bought mine. The only difference is the price. Your mobile phone analogy simply doesn't hold up in this case. It's not that there is no market for a $30 hand held sewing machine, it's that the machine simply doesn't live up to expectations, and was never remotely capable of sewing the things it was advertised as being useful for (IIRC they were promoted widely on TV via Demtel and the like).
And still has 30 votes…
Not easy to use