Elina 40

A Great workhorse – This machine has proven to be the popular choice for all our students. It is very easy to use, it is lovely to sew on. I hope the school will buy more for our makerspace Show details

Great little sewing machine – Sews beautifully. Just gets better the more I use it. Took a bit of trial and error to get the right needle for each fabric type. Has lots of options with different presser feet. Show details

Will be giving away new machine – Cotton kept breaking, tension all wrong;unable to feed material in,not cope with thickness.In 6 months of use taken back for fixing twice,been told it’s user error,not covered under warranty.Now looking for 2nd hand sewing machine. Show details

I love this machine – I have sewed extra thick fabrics without slipping and it copes fantastically. It fits all the generic feet and has given me no problems at all. I would highly recommend this machine. I have had it around 4 years and I sew a lot. Show details

Hate this machine – Hate it never worked properly from day I got it wish I had taken it back straight away , thread keeps breaking after a few stitches,I would not even pass it on to anyone else  Show details

WISH NEVER BOUGHT IT> – Not the best. Was ok for the first year. Tension plays up. The lighting is not good. The bulb keeps dropping out. Can't handle thickness. Really disappointed with it. My Janome I had for 25 years was far better than the Elina 40. This is good for beginners. Thinking of giving it to my 13 years old.

Super easy and would recommend – I have had this machine for a while and have sewn everything from clothes to quilts on it. I have had no problems at all and it is so easy to use. If there is a negative, it is that you need to re-set the stitch after you have turned it off, but I usually keep a jotting of exactly what I was using before I finish a session because it can be weeks… Read more

until I get back to it. I am not sure about the negative reviews - I think they must have had bad luck. I own a vintage Bernina too, but honestly prefer this machine. I would advise purchasing a walking foot for quilting or difficult fabrics and possibly a couple of others if you are keen, but the feet provided all do what they are supposed to. Like any machine you should be careful to use the correct bobbin for the machine and thread weights and needle for the fabric. Also the machine has directions for spool position, and sometimes it is better to use the upright rather than the horizontal depending on the way the thread is spooled. I don't use the needle threader - seems more trouble than it is worth, but have tried it and it works well. For the price it is good value too.

Disappointed – I seem to have constant tension problems, skipped stitches etc. It seems from feedback that some machines have this problem while others are amazing. I find sewing really frustrating and will probably have to buy another machine. Show details

Keeps going and is reliable – As a costumer using predominantly industrial machines, I specifically purchased the Elina 40 for the 'one step' button hole feature for making literally hundreds of buttonholes on costumes and military style jackets. It has not missed a stitch. The only issue was the buttonhole presser foot, one of the rubber treads detached after about the… Read more

300th buttonhole. I've glued it back on. I use the zig zag stitch extensively for organza costumes and decorations, rolling the edges , and the machine keeps going after hours and hours of solid work. It manages fine organza very well. It handles elastic ruching , elastic bobbin thread, without issues, I have used it for smaller runs of straight stitch but infrequently, as I use an industrial machine mostly. No problems experienced. The needle threader works nearly every time, although some difficulties on the smaller gauge needles due to the small eye. Had one issue with bobbin tension on straight sewing of thicker fabric, I changed the needle to a larger size and cleaned the bobbin race. Problem fixed. Broken needles on two occasions with excessive multi layered thick fabric. I do change needles regularly and keep it well oiled and cleaned. Overall, a great general purpose domestic machine that just keeps going and does the job well.

really bad – When a sewing machine takes over an hour to sew 6 inches, there is some serious problems, I have been sewing for over 50 years so I know sewing machines. This thing just skips, breaks needles, breaks cotton, regardless of the correct tension, correct needle, the correct thread makes no difference, will never buy an Elna ever, I would rather sew by hand.  Show details

thread tension & needle inserting – The upper thread tension needs to be constantly adjusted for both straight sewing and zig zag stitches. It is very loose and easily pulled out. I have had to set the dial at almost seven to get the stitching anywhere near even. There is barely enough room beneath the upper housing to get my fingers underneath to change the needle. I find sewing… Read more

has become a very frustrating and unpleasant experience since I purchased this machine about 6 months ago.

Reliable and intuitive – I just really enjoy using this machine and it's never let me down yet. I've had it over 4 years and sew all the time. It's intuitive and easy to operate and is serving me well as I delve into quilting. I don't use half of the functions available but I'm very happy with it. It's a good weight without being too heavy and it's quiet. Stitches perfect every time.  Show details

Never again – Bought this from Spotlight December 2016. Thread holder is ridiculous. Buttonholer only worked Properly for 2 buttonholes. Now I have to change the stitch code and then change it back to 16 (the code I use) between every buttonhole. Worst problem is the presser foot. Keeps stopping mid stitch. Sometimes will do this constantly ie every single… Read more

stitch and sometimes will sew fine for a few minutes before stopping again. And it doesn’t always want to restart either. This is a maddening machine. Bought on sale. Should have put my mone6 towards something else. Complained to Spotlight who want the machine for 2-3 weeks and both Elna and Spotlight refuse to lend me a replacement machine. I’m in the middle of making a wedding dress, and they know that, but not interested in providing customer service beyond the minimum required. My advice...stay well away.

Good sewing machine – Easy to use. Only negative is that the cotton reel holder on the top is very awkward and there is no access to the small section that can hold the bits and pieces. The bed has to be removed and when you do everything falls out. Apart from that it is good. It sews rubber backed material which my u-beaut expensive Brother won't and also allows… Read more

me to use shirring elastic, another item that the Brother will not allow. I am very happy with it as I purchased it on special for $299 at Spotlight but would be hard pushed to recommend it at its normal price of $899.

This machine single-handedly killed my love of sewing! – I bought the Elna as an upgrade from my old Elna 21. My thoughts before purchase were; it's got more features, it's newer and it's computerized among other things. – That was the huge mistake! The machine worked perfectly well most of the time, aside from a few things. The first and biggest flaw with this machine is the horizontal thread… Read more

spool on top of the machine (as opposed to vertical spools on most other machines), having the thread orientated horizontally meant there was practically no tension on the thread as the machine sewed; it was more or less as if the machine simply 'lifted' the thread from the spool. - This consistently lead to very loose stitches and thus less strength in the stitch.

Additionally this made winding bobbins on the machine practically impossible, it almost came to a point where i considered purchasing a separate bobbin winder so that the bobbins i used in the machine were tight; ones wound on the machine were so loose i could pull on the end of the wound thread and it would unwind freely spinning around the centre of the bobbin until all thread had unwound, this frequestly led to large amounts of thread becoming jammed in the bobbin housing in the machine wuich required som work to untangle.

Another problem I frequently noted was the spind holding the presser foot to the fabric was pathetically weak, it was at times not strong enough to hold the fabric together, this was even more pronounced on heavier fabrics such as denim.

These frequent issues wasted a lot of time by slowing down my work process, eventually the machine just stopped working; and in the end I truely question whether the Elna 40 was worth the money I paid for it. I no longer look at it as much of an upgrade from my old Elna 21. – I took it to my local sewing shop today, the lady there said it would cost more to repair the components of it that were faulty then to replace the entire machine.

So, as a word of warning to anyone looking at this machine, avoid it, it will cause you nothing but headaches!

Great! – I bought this at Spotlight on special for $299. It's a rebadged Janome DC2200 (in America its a Janome Magnolia 7330). It is extremely easy to use, i just took it out of the box, wound a bobbin, threaded it and sewed...it was that easy! I pretty much only do quilts and bought this for piecing (my old machine was pulling the fabric and weighs a… Read more

ton), but i have also hemmed some pants, and so far its been a dream! Fabric feeds through nicely, barely have to hold or guide it, stitches are nice and even, tension is perfect ( I only ever use Gutterman or Aurifil thread).

I also bought the 1/4 inch piecing foot (no. 39574196) and the Janome Even Feed Foot 'for horizontal rotary hook models' (walking foot) they are fabulous. You must get 7mm feet for this machine or they wont fit.

Haven't tried denim or anything too heavy yet.

This is my first 'computerised' machine, however it's pretty basic. Has a digital display with some buttons to select the stitches and length and there is needle up/down (love it) and stitch lock buttons. Thats about it for computerised.

Everything about it is easy, and if you are just wanting to do basic sewing and quilting i don't think you need more than this offers, its a great price when you can get it on sale too. All my seams are perfect. Has saved me so much time on unpicking.. because i dont need to.

My only gripes are the needle up down button is above the stitch lock button and sometimes i press that instead which is annoying. Also the storage in the arm attachment is just stupid, your stuff flies out when you take it off it, it needs a lid on the end of it. I use a sewing box anyway so no big deal really. Other that those im really happy, just hope it lasts a good time.

Pleasure to do sewing – I bought my Elina 40 in May 2015 at Spotlight and I love it. I am doing sewing alterations and work on my Elina almost every day with no problem. It is so easy to stitch a buttonhole and it looks professional. The machine is user friendly. With my Elina, the best is to sew with a good quality cotton, otherwise the upper tension can be a problem.

so far so good – I bought this machine to replace my old one which I have the other famous brand for 10 years. Love this machine it has a lot of functions that will never disappoint oneself. Have never enjoyed sewing that much. Price is very reasonable so no need to go for the famous brands . I will recommend to anyone.

Kate - Sew Craft Cook – I love this machine, I have put a long review on about how good this is, this machine has a one step button hole which is perfect for beginners and experienced sewers too, it has stitch length and width, a few useful extra stitiches and a few fun ones too and has speed control which is a big bonus for kids and when do intricate work so you don't have to worry about your foot control if you are less experienced.

It's Awesome for Kids – I run a sewing, craft and cooking workshop and have bought 10 of these sewing machines, and will buy more in the future, they're so easy for children to use, I teach from 6 years onwards and they all feel comfortable and confident on it. It has speed control so they don't need to worry about going fast, it goes slow for them, it's easy to use,… Read more

safe, has a needle threader (perfect for you too). They are strong and lightweight, it's easy to thread & has a drop down bobbin. The children have made cushions, quilts, skirts, toys, decorative homewares etc. They love every second of it, I wouldn't buy a different machine, it's also super easy and versatile enough for adults, with all the bits and bobs you need, although if you do a lot of button holes a one step would be better, but no speed control quite often on those, experienced sewers will always want more functions but for newer it's best to have it easier and simple, some new machines are too simple, this one has stitch witdth and length so you can change the size of your stitches, many cheap models don't have this, making the sewing machine and partly useful. All the best! Kate

www.sewcraftcook.com.au

Easy to use Elina 40 sewing machine – I'm really happy with my Elina that I bought myself from Spotlight for mothers day. Its really easy to use and I have had no issues with it, the self threading needle is fantastic. I even let my 5 year old daughter use it. Can highly recommend it to anyone looking for a sewing machine.

I'm loving sewing all over again – Got the Elina 40 as a Mother's Day gift. Best gift ever. Have made 4 dresses, 3 skirts, curtains and a shirt so far. I have a Bernina which is very big and heavy and has zillions of stitches that I never used and this little chap just hums along quietly.I sewed different weight stretch and cotton fabrics without any problem. The needle threader is… Read more

great especially as I now don't have to peer over my glasses to thread the machine. It is a no nonsense little machine that does everything an enthusiastic home sewer can throw at it.

I'm in love – Needed to replace my almost 30 year old machine which I had loved. I was a bit wary of new computerised machines after using a manual for so many years but with a 5 year warranty was happy to take the chance and now I am in love. I have only had the machine for 2 weeks now but have completed a few projects now and they have involved faux fur,… Read more

felt, and velveteen lycra and it has sewn all these fabrics and combinations of these fabrics perfectly.

Love the extra lift on the feed foot. Very easy to thread the machine and love the needle threader and have not found this difficult to manage or get the hang of at all. Love that you don't have to use the presser foot, found this really useful on the very long edge when making a blanket with fabrics of faux fur, quilting, felt and lining fabric being sewn together which also fed perfectly.

wonderful upgrade – my bernina died. i had 5 old 20 kg machine that will outlive them all. this machine passed the following tests perfectly 2 layers of poplin without me holding it 2 layers of poplin with me stretching it 8 layers of poplin in every case at full speed at stitch lengths from 1mm to 3mm the material was not puckered and every stitch was perfect.… Read more

Button holes, i like the round ones, never had that before.

selected, pressed go and It beeped when done

Top loading bobbin

self threading needle.

I really don't care if this only lasts 5 years. It is so much better than anything I have had so far

5 year warranty

$300 at spotlight

simplicity – Love this machine. Perfect stitches, easy to change from one style to another, easy to thread. Uncomplicated to use. Highly recommend

not up to scratch – I've always used a Singer however thought I'd try something else so went for the Elina 40- used to be Elna - bad choice - bad stitching, doesn't like even slightly uneven fabric difficult to alter tension, the reverse stitch function never works unless I take the fabric back manually and then leaves a messy stitch, instruction manual does not… Read more

explain the purpose of the stitch length function and I can' t figure it out. I'm very disappointed and will be getting rid of this machine as soon as I can afford it

Great for the money – I am an average to good sewer and owner of a Bernina 930. The Elina 40 is an easy to use, light and effective machine. Manages heavier fabrics well.I use this in preference to the other "RollsRoyce" . One read of the manual and the rest was easy. Only fiddly bit is the storage in the arm. Would suggest investing in the extra feet if you sew a… Read more

bit. Buttonholes are a treat. Love it. Simplicity, loading of the shuttle is a breeze and the self threaders is good once you get the hang of it.

Love my machine – I was a reluctant buyer to purchase a computerised sewing machine as very much raised on a standard machine. I purchased from Spotlight without trialling it first, but with a 5 year warranty felt more at ease with the decision when others in the same league only offer 1 year. I have found the manual has been easy to read thus far, the machine is… Read more ·  1

quiet, even stitching, the machine works effortlessly through thicker materials, is weighty enough that it doesn't bounce when sewing fast, a wide flat bed, and stitches I thought I wouldn't use - I have. I have only had the machine for a week and am very happy with it. At the moment it will be used mostly for mending but see the value of its range of stitches when I have the time to get back to actual sewing again. I thought the reverse button was in the wrong spot, but doesn't worry be anymore. I love the feature of selecting the needle to finish in either the up or down mode each time I stop. I have nothing bad of any real value to say about the machine and when I compared it to other computerised machines this stood out a winner in value. The above says it all The only negative so far is I prefer the option to flip open a lid to access the little bits and pieces in the bed where you have to slide the bed out fully to locate a cavity.

So easy to work,sewing is a breeze – Bought at spotlight late 2012. literally took it out of box read manual,and sewed . It's easily the best sewing machine I've used, at 1/4 price of top range eg berlina cost($429). But above all it has features for physically disabled( especially lower limb ) Sews all materials- makes life easier. Reliable price,used brand prior,easy for physically challenged poor cover provided so thin it doesn't protect machine,cotton holder a bit tedious Show reply

Best buy of the year !!! – My partner bought me this wonderful Elna Elina 40SP sewing machine for Xmas 2012. He bought it from Spotlight on special for $429. Ladies I have to let you know that this machine does everything other expensive machines do for a fraction of the price. I have owned & tested many sewing machines and this one is one of the very best. Easy to… Read more ·  1

thread, it is computerized but easy to understand and operate all functions. You can operate this machine with or without the foot controller. Great for beginners and experienced sewists who don't want all the bells and whistles. I took it out of the box, threaded it and started to sew a pair of shortie pjamas for my daughter Nothing wrong with this Elna badged Janome Magnolia 7330 sewing machine