If you wanted a more powerful replacement for your older but less reliable sewing machine and be able to sew on a wide range of projects using canvas, leather, denim, or other heavy fabrics with better results than you have been actually getting, go ahead and purchase the Singer 4423 Heavy Duty.
As most customers did, you will LOVE the simple design and the straightforward operation of the 4423.
It has a range of good stitches (both decorative and functional) and other nice features such as automatic threader, adjustable needle position, and the one-step button hole, which is what most people are excited about.
Singer 4423 Sewing Machine Reviews
Other heavy duty Singers does not have these features!
When you start using it, the first thing you may notice will be the less-than-stellar quality decorative stitches, but that should not be a big deal if you are using a lot of hand embroidery and do not use those types of stitches that often.
One of the verified customers did a little ‘test project’ on the 4423: she used a zippered pouch with denim lining. The machine ran over it quietly and quickly on the pima cotton shell, and putting the zipper in was easy.
However, she was disappointed with how the machine handled the multiple layers of denim in the lining.
The machine started to knock loudly and a few times, it stopped completely when sewing over a bulky seam – the feed dogs could not pull the fabric through. She rethreaded the machine, adjusted the tension and the stitch length, and anything else she could think of that would be the cause of her problem, but it did not help!
She says that the machine was just not as powerful (heavy duty) as they claim it to be.
She recommends using this machine for beginners as she finds it to have more substantial value that most other “entry level” machine yet still having those nice features that we mentioned above without having a BIG price tag.
For those who want a ‘true’ heavy-duty machine, Singer 4423 might not be for you!
We would recommend upgrading to a non-heavy duty machine in a better brand – heavy duty machines – , if you can afford it. It might be more expensive than this Singer model, but it would be worth the investment.
Singer 4423 is a nice little machine, but initially, you could have trouble with it, as others who purchased this heavy-duty machine. The threading instruction picture in the manual is a bit tricky!
You may forget to thread the little bracket just above the needle. It is not explained in the picture and not obvious on the machine, however, it is important that you do follow the step (mentioned in the step 7 of the instruction book).
In step six, the thread first has to go through the metal holder, which is obvious, and then, it needs to go in that tiny little bracket – a small piece of metal laying on top of the needle mount. If you do not thread that tiny bracket, the thread will jam up underneath, ruin your sewing, and lock up.
If you cannot find it, we highly recommend stopping at a Joann Fabrics and ask someone to show you, just as other buyers did.
Here is another tip for a beginner sewer: Hold the ends of the beginning of a seam because sewing machine, and especially Singer machines, can ball up the thread if you do not! Sometimes, it will pull the thread down the bobbin area and jam.
This problem can be solved y holding the ends of both threads for the first few stitches. You will never really remember this step until you end up ripping out a few balled up seams manually.
Some customers made vinyl pouch with Singer 4423 as their first project, and they found this machine to handle it really well. The feed dogs may struggle if the weight of the fabric is heavy, pulling it out of line. Make sure to put the weight of the fabric on a chair so it will not pull.
Another tip that we would like to share with the beginner: always stop the machine with the needle inside the fabric. To do this, stop the machine and quickly turn the wheel handle to put the needle inside the fabric.
One more tip we would like to share when you are using any sewing, including the Singer 4423: Take the original needle that comes with the machine and throw it away. You do not know what shape it is in when it arrives in your doorway.
Instead, open the pack of needles inside the little door in the free arm, get out a fresh needle, and use it. Sharp needles are very important for any project. However, they only stay sharp for a few projects at most. Use a fresh needle after every couple of projects to avoid ruining your stitches.
When you are working with heavy fabric like denim or vinyl, you need to use a heavy duty needle, particularly if you are going to sew through layers of denim. You can get them at a fabric store near your place. Select the type of needle that goes well with the type of fabric. If you are not sure, ask.
Take your time sewing. Sew through the thick parts slowly. Sometimes, you may have to manually insert the needle through the layers of fabric and pull it up to get the machine going.
Similarly, knits need different types of needles. Sometimes, you may need a ballpoint needle that passes between fibers instead of splitting them. For fine fabrics, you will need very sharp needles.
If you notice stitching balling up under your fabric, it is probably because the top or bobbin is threaded wrong. To prevent this, make sure the thread is coming off the bobbin with the loose thread pointing to the left.
Or, it could be because of the bad needle, or a tension problem, or a wrong match between the needle and the fabric.
If you notice the stitches to be really tight, you can adjust the tension a half number either way and solve the problem, but only if you have ruled out the other problems. These issues with Singer 4423 happen to the best of the industries, so do not be disappointed with your purchase.
Beyond all these issues with the Singer 4423, the machine sews like a DREAM!
It runs quiet and sews really fast! This will be awesome for doing piecing for quilts.
Although it is not exactly the same quality you may get from Pfaff, which is all metal, and this machine is plastic, and does not come with lot of fancy stitches, however, it is a great value for what it can do and does execute well for everything that customers tried on this machine.
Singer 4423 is a perfect machine for a beginner sewer, or someone who needs a machine to take care of odd little projects or to hem pants every once in a while.
