Singer M2105 Sewing Machine Review

The Singer M2105 is a lightweight and portable machine that is marketed for beginners and experienced sewers alike. Singer is among the top leading sewing machine brands, with the Singer M2105 being rated within the top 10 best selling sewing machines in the UK (as publish in Best Product Reviews 2024); placed fifth. We've given it a thorough test, find out how we got on...

Why I wanted to test the Singer M2105 Sewing Machine

Throughout my career I taught adults with learning disabilities various educational classes including sewing as part of their college courses. Throughout the years I have completed and produced many items of soft furnishing for myself and my family but since retiring I now only carry out alterations or repairs. The sewing machine I use is a Brother VX1063 which is a fairly old model however adequate for my needs, if not a tad heavy. This was one of the reasons I was interested in testing a portable sewing machine, to see if it matched up to my present machine's performance, with the added benefits of being lightweight and compacted.

Testing the Singer M2105 Sewing Machine

My initial thoughts when opening the product was that the overall look and design of the sewing machine was good, it arrived well packaged, showing what was included on the box lid. The instruction leaflet is minimal only explaining how to wind/insert the bobbin and thread the machine. The instructions were in large print which I found both easy to read and understand. However for all other instructions on how to operate different functions, (inserting the buttonhole plate, changing different foots etc) you had to go online to download the manual. This could be problematic for people without a smartphone or internet.

While testing the product over a five week period I found the foot pedal easy to insert into the machine. However the pedal was of poor quality being flimsy with no real substance to it. Although it did not impact on how far you had to press down before it generated speed. Winding the bobbin was straight forward however I did find the plastic bobbins to be of poor quality compared to metal ones and they stuck in the shuttle making it difficult to remove them. I did test to see if a metal bobbin could be used in this machine and found it could. The lead was shorter than my present machine which could be a problem if you are using a high table, although adequate for my usage.

When loading the bobbin I found it a little fiddly to insert into the front-loading housing due to flap being flimsy and not staying fully open. This could be a problem for someone with dexterity problems. The housing components were locked in place but when taking them out to clean, found it a little tricky to reassemble them. For a beginner it could be problematic getting the components back in the right order without going online to download manual.

Threading the machine was straightforward, it took only a few minutes to thread. Selecting the various stitch patterns, adjusting the tension and changing the needle, again I found easy. I was impressed with the variety of the embroidery stitches, which I tested and found them to be of good quality. The machine offered three different length running stitches which I tested on different fabrics including denim, again these were of a good standard. The needle was able to sew through the denim fabric including the seams with no problems.

It had been many years since I had used the button hole and button functions and had to refresh my knowledge by following the instruction manual. The instructions were fairly straightforward, although it did take several attempts before I was happy with the finished result.  I found the button hole foot to be of poor quality and was afraid I would break it when inserting and removing it from the machine. Inserting the button plate and button foot following instructions was fairly straightforward and I was very pleased with the finished result after only one attempt. The zip foot was made of metal and was easy to insert and use.

Final verdict

Although I enjoyed how lightweight and easy to use this machine was, I did miss the solidity of my old machine. The poor quality and flimsiness of some of the components did not compare against the solid components of my machine and did impact on my overall review of this product. However, whilst I shall keep my old machine for larger projects, I would definitely use the Singer for quick alterations and repairs.

I found some of the components, (foot pedal, bobbin cases, buttonhole foot,  front-loading housing door) to be of poor quality and were not very strong for longevity**.** Whilst the machine was ideal for general light use, I do not envisage it would be robust enough for constant daily/professional purposes. Having to download the instruction manual each time you needed to learn how to operate a function could be a problem for some people especially if they do not have the technology/knowledge to do so.

In general, this machine sits comfortably at an entry-level price point, it was relatively easy to use. Being lightweight and compacted it was easy to transport between different rooms. It had a good range of embroidery stitches that provided the user with different options. The machine performed well on different fabrics. Its motor had enough power to sew at speed when required. It was comparatively simple to operate for users with experience of using a sewing machine and by following the instruction manual and practicing, it could be a machine ideal for beginners too.