This is an excellent machine. I have owned one since 2002, and it still works just as well. I do casual costuming; it doesn't get used every day, but it does get its workout periods.
This thing can go through 12 layers of denim with no slow-down. The motor is stronger than in many other home machines, so it can handle thicker layers or heavier fabrics without coming to a stall like many other mechanical machines that I've used.
It has many of the basic features I need: a buttonhole, straight stitch and zigzag, overcast stitches, stretch stitches, freely adjustable stitch width/length. It also does not require oiling. If you are a student or home garment sewer looking for a basic mechanical machine that gets the job done well, this machine definitely fits the bill. (The 6550 is a step up, with a few extra stitches and a 1-step buttonhole instead of a 4-step buttonhole.)
It is portable, but built like a brick despite the plastic casing. My cat once managed to somehow drop-kick it from my sewing table and onto the floor, but the only thing that got damaged was the light bulb!
I have recently acquired a much more advanced computerized sewing/embroidery machine, but I decided to keep the 6510 as a backup because it has been so reliable to me over the past 6 years.
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