Necchi 4825 Review

Words simply cannot express how delighted I was to finally be able to review a Necchi sewing machine. I had been reading about the Necchi brand and looking high and low for new Necchi sewing machines for years.

I finally came upon a Necchi 4825 on display one day while visiting Ace Sewing and Vacuum in Pompano Beach, Florida.

At A Glance

Necchi 4825

Large stitch selection panel on the column

One of the first things that caught my eye on the Necchi 4825 was the bright red, white and blue motif, followed by the large stitch selection panel on the column and the very large, easy to see stitch display window.

The Necchi 4825 also has a brightly lit workspace, a free arm and a needle plate with seam guides etched onto it. There is also a very large reverse stitch button on the front of the column, below the stitch selection display.

The stitch selection dial is on the right of the column, just beneath the balance wheel. Below the stitch selection dial is the button hole stitch width control dial.

A see through cover and seam guides on the needle plate

Dials on the top of the head above the workspace control the stitch width and length adjustment. Also on the top of the machine head are dials to control the tension and presser foot pressure. Both of these dials are located above the needle.

The Necchi 4825 also has an automatic needle threader and a drop in bobbin with a see through cover and seam guides on the needle plate. When the on board accessory case is removed, a convenient free arm is revealed.

Features

• 29 decorative and utility stitch options
  • One four step buttonhole
• Drop in bobbin
• Adjustable stitch length and width
• Manual tension adjustment
• Buttonhole stitch width adjustment
• On board thread cutter
• Free arm
• Dial up stitch selection
• Stitch display window
• Needle plate with seam guides
• On board accessory storage

Working on the Necchi 4825

On board guides make threading the Necchi 4825 and winding the bobbin kids’ play. I have no doubt a child in elementary school will be able to master these tasks in no time at all and be able to perform with the minimum of adult supervision after just one or two attempts.

The stitch selection process is just as easy. All that is required is to simply turn the dial until the desired stitch appears in the magnifying window on the column.

On board accessory case

The stitch quality, however, is poor. The machine is noisy and it vibrates. Neither the noise nor the vibration is so bad that I would call them major distractions. The problem is the stitch quality.

Poor stitch quality

I sampled more than half the stitch options and in my opinion, only the straight and zigzag stitches were acceptable. Even after several attempts to adjust the tension, stitch length and width, all of the other stitches I sampled were poorly formed and weak.

Fabrics

• Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool
• Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet
• Knits
• Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester
• Denim
• Upholstery
• Leather/suede
• Fur
• Reptile skin
• Canvas/Twill
• Plastic/Rubber
• Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers

Accessories

Standard accessories:

• 5 snap on presser feet
  • All purpose foot
  • Zipper foot
  • Buttonhole foot
  • Button attachment foot
  • Overlock cutter foot
• 2 screwdrivers (1 large/1 small)
• Seam ripper/lint brush
• Extra needles
• Bobbins
• Seam guide
• 2 spool holders (1 large/1 small)
• Extra spool pin with felt

Extra needles

Optional accessories:

• Twin needle
• Additional presser feet
  • Satin stitch foot
  • Overcasting foot
  • Hemmer foot
  • Cording foot
  • Blind hem foot
  • Darning foot
  • Quilting foot
  • Gathering foot
  • Walking foot

Maintenance

Tying Off The Loose Ends

I like the large stitch display window for senior citizens who want to sew, but have challenges with eye strain. This and the easy threading process are probably the only favorable things I have to say about the Necchi 4825.

After waiting so long to review a Necchi, I was sorely disappointed with this sewing machine to say the least. In my opinion, the Necchi 4825 is only good for teaching a young child to sew.

If you do purchase one of these machines for a youngster, my advice is that you not pay more than $100 for it and that you be prepared to replace it as soon as the child’s sewing skills begin to develop to the point where he or she can make and wear garments for themselves and others.

If the quality of the stitches produced by the Necchi 4825 and if there was a little less noise and vibration, I might be inclined to recommend the Necchi 4825 for use by people who want to use it for mending and occasional use. I cannot in good conscious recommend this machine for anyone who is the least bit serious about sewing.

In addition to the aforementioned problems I have with the Necchi 4825, there is one other thing with which I am uncomfortable as well.

Owner’s manual

Although the Necchi 4825 comes with two screwdrivers, the owner’s manual instructions say that a coin must be used when manipulating the presser foot adjustment and buttonhole stitch width adjustment dials.

In my humble opinion, everything needed to operate the basic functions of any sewing machine should be included as part of the standard accessory package.

It would have been a simple maneuver to include one of those screwdriver-like tools that has three or four different edges, each of which is a different length and width.

This, I believe would have alleviated the need to keep a coin in the sewing room just to adjust the width of your buttonhole stitches and change the presser foot pressure when you need to.

When you consider the fact that the Necchi brand had such a wonderful reputation in its heyday, it is truly disappointing to think that some of the new sewing machines bearing the Necchi name have fallen into such a sad state. After all, Necchi sewing machines were at one time revered the world over.

Sophia Loren and other Italian celebrities even endorsed the brand at one time. In addition, Necchi sewing machines were on permanent display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art for their innovative design, quality and workmanship.

When I reviewed the Necchi Pro Lock PL 1020, I found it encouraging and left with the feeling that the brand had maintained its long-standing reputation for sewing machine innovation and excellence. Unfortunately, we have witnessed the demise of other venerable sewing machine brands through corporate buy outs and outsourcing.

The most glaring example of the decline of a sewing machine brand is the recent history of the Singer sewing machines and sergers. Anyone who has been around sewing machines for more than 20 years can attest to the fact that Singer was the trendsetter for all home sewing machines.

The brand was cloned and copied for more than a century. I own a Singer clone that has been used heavily for more than 40 years and is still going strong.

A sewing buddy of mine still uses a Singer sewing machine that she inherited from her grandmother more than 50 years ago… and her grandmother had inherited it many years before that.

I sincerely hope that the Necchi 4825 is an anomaly and that other newer model Necchi sewing machines are better than this one. Hope springs eternal, and I continue to look forward to getting an opportunity to review many more late model Necchis in the future.

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