I am glad I decided to buy the Singer Classic HD500. Love it's retro look!More importantly, it is really easy to thread, and winding the bobbin was a breeze. I have not had problems with thread breaking like some have mentioned.. And the foot pedal works well and has a wide range from barely moving to high speed and it handles the fabric well at both speeds. This machine is much quieter than any others I have, too. While the outside body is plastic, the inside is metal and it is heavy so it stays put when sewing.Folks have mentioned the inconvenience of not having a full manual shipped with the machine. Some have mentioned they had to pay for it, but it is readily available on Singer's website at no cost.. Since I can't include the link in my review, maybe Amazon should have one in the listing?Singer has created the imprint of a ruler at the bottom front of the machine, which would be helpful if you could actually read it. It could be much improved if it were enhanced with gold metallic paint to match the rest of the machine. That is what I did and it is much more usable. I've included photos of before and after to see how it turned out for me.