Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 Sewing Machine Review
The value on this machine can’t be beat and I HIGHLY recommend it. You get 4 alphabet fonts, both upper and lower, plus tons and tons of decorative and useful utility stitches, mirror imaging, not to mention the needle cutter which is next to impossible to find on a machine at this price point. The 9960 comes with just about every foot you’ll need and also an extension table. Plus there are two LED lights that shine down pretty well on your work and the bed of the machine.
The stitch quality on this machine is really quite good and I have no complaints there. In my opinion, it was just as good as higher end machines I have sewn on. Nicely balanced, even and no skipped stitches or loops. I have sewn/tested just about every pattern on here and they all turn out great.
The machine has auto-tension which I think works some of the time. But then again, I’m someone that likes to adjust my tension manually and found myself having to do that for every stitch more often than not. Keep in mind, though, that fabric, thread and needle always play a part and it’s always a good idea to play around with different combinations before judging stitch quality.
The alphabet fonts stitched out quite nicely. They’re not large, but perfect for cuffs or pockets. Plus, I was pretty impressed that both upper and lower case letters were available for the price on this machine. Usually don’t see that until higher end machines.
The motor is EXTREMELY quiet and very, very smooth. I don’t think anyone would complain about this part. It didn’t make any jamming noises and certainly didn’t slow down over heavy seems. One PRETTY IMPRESSIVE feature I found out about and it certainly wasn’t touted that much is the box feed system and 7-point feed dogs. The box feed is something I believe is found on Juki’s and really helps with the machine’s even feeding performance. Plus, having a 7-point feed dog system also helps.
The LCD screen is EXTREMELY user friendly and I had no problem getting accustomed to it at all. Very large readout and you don’t have to squint to see the settings.
Ultimately, I chose to return the machine ONLY because I decided to get a combination sewing/embroidery machine. But I sewed on this solidly for 2 months and was very, very pleased. I would definitely recommend this for the new sewer or the advanced one. It really is a great machine!
I knew the Singer wasn’t going to come close to the Viking in many areas BUT for the price of $330 this machine has pleasantly surprised me. It sews very smoothly and straight. It has a nice sound when sewing, not whiny or clunky at all. It stops on a dime, exactly where you want it to. I’ve stitched out all the stitches and buttonholes, all are great. Most of the decorative stitches can be altered in length/width but there are a few that cannot be changed.
I test sewed a variety of fabrics such as fleece, lightweight wool, cotton knit, stretch velvet and even silk, the Stylist sewed them all well. I did change to the proper size needle and threads for the different fabrics before testing though. I think this is where a lot of people get into trouble with their machines – not using the proper needles/thread to match the fabric being sewn on. You generally will not get good results by using a cotton thread on thick poly fleece with a size 10 needle and 2.0 stitch length! Many will blame the machine for the poor stitches when it is just the thread/needle/stitch combo that is all that is wrong. Sorry for the preaching here! =0)
I like that you can move the needle left or right in tiny increments to get the seam just where it needs to be. Threading and bobbin winding are easy, the threader is just OK as it isn’t as precise as some I’ve used, it does work but you have to work at it to make it work! The thread cutter was a very important feature for me, I have gotten so use to the one on my Viking that I cannot do without now. I thought a machine at this price to have a cutter was incredible! I’m finding the cutter can be a bit off and not cut well every time it’s used. I’ve noticed this happens only if the needle is to the farthest right of center such as when I have it 1/4 inch from the side of the foot for piecing quilt blocks. It will cut the top thread but not the bottom. When the needle is moved back to center or more to the left positions the cutter cuts both threads. I think maybe all it needs is a slight adjustment. However, when you purchase a sewing machine online versus at an ‘in person’ dealer, there is no one to service these kinds of issues, unless of course you have a Singer authorized service center nearby, the closest to me is a 2 1/2 hr drive.
I have tried free motion quilting and the machine performed well, even with nylon thread. I did not use the ‘darning’ foot that came with the machine as I felt it inferior (it is the only one of the feet that I felt this way about, all the others are fine). I used the open eye free motion foot from my Viking instead, since they are both low shank machines it fit. The needle down feature is wonderful for FMQing!
I love the slide on table that came with the machine, nice to have if I take the machine to classes. I will use the machine in a table with an insert when at home.
The Quantum has wonderful features such as the red/green light that lets you know the whether the presser foot is up/down. The machine will not sew when the foot is up, a great safety feature if you’re like me and doesn’t turn the machine off when changing needles! I also like the programmable ‘tie off’ stitch, no need to remember, the machine remembers for you.
The machine came with a hard case cover, a package of extra types of feet and the slide on table. Last, this is a big machine with a nice substantial feel, not dinky and lightweight like some similar priced machines I’ve tried, and it is nice looking too. The only thing lacking with the Stylist is a knee lever presser foot lifter, I would have gladly paid more money for that one feature! Overall I am very happy with this machine and would recommend it to anyone.
Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 Sewing Machine
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Overall
I have never owned a Singer. I assumed that they were not well made but I got to try this machine out at my local Joann’s. It has a lot features I was looking for and I wanted one that came with a lot of feet so I wouldn’t have to spend more money on feet.
I brought all kinds of fabrics: satin, cotton backed with stabilizer to try buttonholes, muslin, jersey, cotton with batting in the middle and a denim jeans hem with me to try out all the stitches. It sews very smoothly and pretty quiet. I thought some of the buttonholes are actually shaped and looked better (the roundness of the keyhole) than on my Janome 2010/ Kenmore 19110). I gave this machine to my DD as I don’t like the choice of buttonholes ( only has three) and no bartack plus lighting is dim. The eyelet looks better to me than on the Janome 6600p.
I have not had this machine long but so far for the price it has an automatic thread cutter that I love, no threads all over my floor!! It comes with a lot of feet except for a gathering foot and a piping foot (using zipper foot for that).It does come with welting foot though. It also comes with a large extension table for quilting. The motor amps on this machine is 0.6 Amp as per Singer and actually has BOX FEED like the Juki 600 ( I emailed them about this at it was not listed on the back of the machine, The feet are not as nicely made as the Janome but work the same. Where you thread the machine in the front seams a little flimsy and the needle threader doesn’t always work the first time but I have figured out that when you pull it down you need to pull it down and move it to the left at the same now it works just fine.
I have to say that I was very impressed with all the features on this machine and the way it sewed. I told the sales lady that I wanted to “try it out and thought I would hate it because it was junk” but I was surprised by it instead. It sewed through my Denim Hem over that thick flat felled seam without any hesitation at all. My Janome 2010 hesitates but it does it.
Now I really don’t know how long this machine will last but I got it online from an authorized dealer with a Five year Extended Warranty that covers it bumper to bumper including yearly maintenance. So I figured it was half the price of the Janome 5200 and has the auto thread cutter. So if winds up being junk I just won’t buy another Singer. Only time will tell. I had stitch samples from all the machines I have been testing ( Elna 7300 elna,/ Janome 6600p, Horizon 7700 and Janome 8077) and compared them to this machine and I really thought this machine had some nice stitches the straight stitch looked about the same to me. I just wish it had 11″ harp space then it would be perfect!! This one is just average harp space (from needle to the right 6″ and then inside top to bottom 4″. I weighed this machine and it was 19.5 lbs. The box it came in said 25lbs for everything (packing, machine , accessories) I will update my review as I sew on it more. I want to try FMQ on it but I haven’t really tried it. I really wanted the Horizon but my husband said we are not spending 3,000.00 on a sewing machine, then I told him an Elna 740 excellence was on sale for 2,200.00 he still said no. When I told him about this machine he said to buy it. I have an old Kenmore mechnical 17124 that I bought in 1997 that has a 4 step buttonhole and 24 built in stitches that I paid 239.00 plus a $66.00 3 yr extended warranty that thank goodness I never had to use. I still have it and it still sews great, so he thinks all sewing machines should only cost that much. But I wanted more features.
So far one con is that when you use the auto locking stitch button you have to program it in before you sew and if your using a decorative it will only sew one pattern and then do a locking stitch. On the Janome you can press the locking stitch at any time and if your sewing a pattern it will finish it and then do the locking stitch. I liked this feature because if I am sewing a row of the same decorative pattern it will always finish the pattern it was sewing. Now I don’t know where to stop and it seems like I always stop it mid pattern. Drives me a little crazy!
Another Con is that it doesn’t have adjustable presser foot pressure, but it really seems to handle all types of material just fine. I don’t really like the bartack end of buttonholes #107,111 and 108 they look a little slanted and can’t figure out how to straighten out. Tried using the + and – adjustment didn’t really help.
This machine is a bit more flimsy plastic in certain areas especially the spool holder area and the front piece where you thread the machine it has 5 at the top and 6 at the bottom (it moves). I don’t like the way the capital S looks like in the script it is not pretty doesn’t even look like an S to me. Some of the lowercase letters with decenders are jumped up and look weird. It comes with a hard cover but I don’t really like it. Where the manual is supposed to go always falls open. I made a cover for it instead but I didn’t buy the machine for the cover.
Other than these issues I really like this machine for the money. It makes beautiful stitches.
I’ve been sewing on the Quantum Stylist for about 12 days now. I purchased the machine mainly for quilt piecing and free motion quilting. I have a Viking Designer SE that I use for regular sewing and embroidery. I knew the Singer wasn’t going to come close to the Viking in many areas BUT for the price of $330 this machine has pleasantly surprised me. It sews very smoothly and straight. It has a nice sound when sewing, not whiny or clunky at all. It stops on a dime, exactly where you want it to. I’ve stitched out all the stitches and buttonholes, all are great. Most of the decorative stitches can be altered in length/width but there are a few that cannot be changed.
I test sewed a variety of fabrics such as fleece, lightweight wool, cotton knit, stretch velvet and even silk, the Stylist sewed them all well. I did change to the proper size needle and threads for the different fabrics before testing though. I think this is where a lot of people get into trouble with their machines – not using the proper needles/thread to match the fabric being sewn on. You generally will not get good results by using a cotton thread on thick poly fleece with a size 10 needle and 2.0 stitch length! Many will blame the machine for the poor stitches when it is just the thread/needle/stitch combo that is all that is wrong. Sorry for the preaching here! =0)
I like that you can move the needle left or right in tiny increments to get the seam just where it needs to be. Threading and bobbin winding are easy, the threader is just OK as it isn’t as precise as some I’ve used, it does work but you have to work at it to make it work! The thread cutter was a very important feature for me, I have gotten so use to the one on my Viking that I cannot do without now. I thought a machine at this price to have a cutter was incredible! I’m finding the cutter can be a bit off and not cut well every time it’s used. I’ve noticed this happens only if the needle is to the farthest right of center such as when I have it 1/4 inch from the side of the foot for piecing quilt blocks. It will cut the top thread but not the bottom. When the needle is moved back to center or more to the left positions the cutter cuts both threads. I think maybe all it needs is a slight adjustment. However, when you purchase a sewing machine online versus at an ‘in person’ dealer, there is no one to service these kinds of issues, unless of course you have a Singer authorized service center nearby, the closest to me is a 2 1/2 hr drive.
I have tried free motion quilting and the machine performed well, even with nylon thread. I did not use the ‘darning’ foot that came with the machine as I felt it inferior (it is the only one of the feet that I felt this way about, all the others are fine). I used the open eye free motion foot from my Viking instead, since they are both low shank machines it fit. The needle down feature is wonderful for FMQing!
I love the slide on table that came with the machine, nice to have if I take the machine to classes. I will use the machine in a table with an insert when at home.
The Quantum has wonderful features such as the red/green light that lets you know the whether the presser foot is up/down. The machine will not sew when the foot is up, a great safety feature if you’re like me and doesn’t turn the machine off when changing needles! I also like the programmable ‘tie off’ stitch, no need to remember, the machine remembers for you.
The machine came with a hard case cover, a package of extra types of feet and the slide on table. Last, this is a big machine with a nice substantial feel, not dinky and lightweight like some similar priced machines I’ve tried, and it is nice looking too. The only thing lacking with the Stylist is a knee lever presser foot lifter, I would have gladly paid more money for that one feature! Overall I am very happy with this machine and would recommend it to anyone.
(I purchased the machine on Amazon with free ship, they have the best price and liberal return policy in my opinion.)
Troubleshooting:
No knee bar for presser foot lifter. Thread cutter issue.
I don’t care for the alphabets, they aren’t pretty but would be good for making quilt back labels and the like, and there is no lower case but then this is a $330 machine – you get lots more to make up for the little things .
The value on this machine can’t be beat and I HIGHLY recommend it. You get 4 alphabet fonts, both upper and lower, plus tons and tons of decorative and useful utility stitches, mirror imaging, not to mention the needle cutter which is next to impossible to find on a machine at this price point. The 9960 comes with just about every foot you’ll need and also an extension table. Plus there are two LED lights that shine down pretty well on your work and the bed of the machine.
The stitch quality on this machine is really quite good and I have no complaints there. In my opinion, it was just as good as higher end machines I have sewn on. Nicely balanced, even and no skipped stitches or loops. I have sewn/tested just about every pattern on here and they all turn out great.
The machine has auto-tension which I think works some of the time. But then again, I’m someone that likes to adjust my tension manually and found myself having to do that for every stitch more often than not. Keep in mind, though, that fabric, thread and needle always play a part and it’s always a good idea to play around with different combinations before judging stitch quality.
The alphabet fonts stitched out quite nicely. They’re not large, but perfect for cuffs or pockets. Plus, I was pretty impressed that both upper and lower case letters were available for the price on this machine. Usually don’t see that until higher end machines.
The motor is EXTREMELY quiet and very, very smooth. I don’t think anyone would complain about this part. It didn’t make any jamming noises and certainly didn’t slow down over heavy seems. One PRETTY IMPRESSIVE feature I found out about and it certainly wasn’t touted that much is the box feed system and 7-point feed dogs. The box feed is something I believe is found on Juki’s and really helps with the machine’s even feeding performance. Plus, having a 7-point feed dog system also helps.
The LCD screen is EXTREMELY user friendly and I had no problem getting accustomed to it at all. Very large readout and you don’t have to squint to see the settings.
Ultimately, I chose to return the machine ONLY because I decided to get a combination sewing/embroidery machine. But I sewed on this solidly for 2 months and was very, very pleased. I would definitely recommend this for the new sewer or the advanced one. It really is a great machine!
Troubleshooting:
The plastic cover does NOT hold the manual as stated in the manual, thus it makes the compartment on the cover pretty useless. Plus it is rather flimsy and somewhat difficult to put on and off. The accessory cover on the lid is also pretty flimsy and comes off quite easily.
I did have problems with the machine when it came to the bobbin getting low, and I mean quite low to where this is only about 12″ of thread left on there. The machine had a tendency to jam for some reason. The bobbin itself would begin to rattle extensively than if it was full. I don’t want to ding the machine for this simply because I think most people would fill their bobbin before it got this low, but I hate wasting thread, so I use up every bit. LOL!
I like the quality and numerous stitches of this machine. It is as smooth as a machine of greater cost. It is very quiet compared to other brands. I also have a computerized older Pfaff sewing machine. This machine is every bit comparable to a machine costing at least $1000.
One of my favorite features is auto thread cutting. No more threads to clean up in the sewing room or floor. It is an option you can use or not use.
The LCD screen is much larger than Brother sewing machines and if I were to compare Brother to Singer, this Singer out surpasses Brother.
Singer merged with Pfaff and Viking several years ago ( or possibly more). I believe they merged their high end technology on this model and came up with a winner. Not all Singers are like this one.
This is a whole lot of machine for the money! It comes with 18 feet including an even feed/walking foot. I have usually paid $50-75 for a good walking foot. To me the feet alone are worth the price paid. It comes with an extension table and a hard dust cover too.
I love the thread cutter and I really like the auto threader, although it did take me awhile to get used to it. I love how quiet this machine is, it really just purrs along.
I have not had it very long yet so I am still learning all that it will do. But so far I am beyond pleased with this purchase!
The path that led me to purchasing a Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 was all about buttonholes. I own several old machines that I like very much, a Singer 15-91 at the top of the heap. But I do not use buttonhole attachments well. Other people do, but I don’t. I depended on a Brother CS6000i for making buttonholes, but one day it stopped making buttonholes. Since I never loved that Brother, I opted to get a new machine rather than get it fixed.
I researched and researched until I was sick of reading about sewing machines. I, like many, had been off of Singer because of the quality different between its older machines and its new machines. But one Singer machine got consistently good reviews, the Singer Quantum Stylist 9960. After having owned it for a week, I concur, the machine is a winner.
The machine is, I believe, made by Juki. The reason I say that is because it has Juki’s box-feed system and Juki features like auto pin and foot leveling when sewing heavy fabrics.
It does buttonholes very well—in more styles than I will every use. It has proper weight. Not too heavy, and not too light. I very much dislike light machines. After all, a machine is a machine and ought not slip and slide while one is working with it.
It has every stitch I need (600 or so, depending on how you count) and it comes with all the feet I need, including a walking foot. Stiches are formed well. The one press thread cutter that cuts both threads is to die for. It is rather quiet, although not as quiet as my Swiss-watch-like Singer 15-91. Actually the Quantum is probably not louder, but doesn’t have the 15-91s pleasant click-click sound.
My experience with the machine so far has all been positive. It has more features that I could have thought up had I been asked. It sews well with as little fuss as one can rightly expect.
I received this sewing machine as a Christmas gift back in 2011. I primarily wanted it for the “value added foot package”. I own the Singer Quantum L-500 and knew those feet would also work on this machine.
This machine is smooth and quiet. It’s amazing how many features are included for a rather low price point. There are some great deals out there right now on this machine for less than what I paid for mine.
The stitch quality is excellent. It’s easy to adjust from stitch to stitch. The buttonhole function is simple and there’s a nice variety of buttonholes offered. There are 13 different buttonhole operations. I’ve used this machine to stitch knits and even denim. I haven’t had any problems with this machine at all.
I’ve used one of the 5 built in alphabets to make personalized Christmas Ornaments for my sons classmates. One of the alphabets is not English so technically there are 4 useful fonts. (Russian)
The extra specialty foot package included:
Welt Cording Foot
1/4″ Foot
Stitch in the Ditch Foot
Fancy Trim Foot
Adjustable Binding Foot
Braid Foot and Guide
I’ve tried the fancy trim foot and the welt cording feet and have done a review on both.
I absolutely love the cutter button. This machine has needle up and down which is nice when you get to a pivot point. I’m usually like a bobbin and casing better than a drop in bobbin, but this one is easy to use and it’s nice to see the bobbin thread as you sew. I like that I have the option to use the foot pedal or the on/off button to control the machine. I used the on/off button when I worked with the alphabet for the ornaments and it was kind of fun.
It has a nice variety of decorative stitches and many can be customized. By this I mean elongated, mirrored or change the length or width on many. I haven’t tried it to do free motion embroidery, but I will soon.