Compare · Preset vs adjustable
Singer Start 1304 vs Singer M1500
Two Singers, six stitches each, and one specification that decides which of them you will outgrow first.
By Michael W. · Published
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Quick picks
The short answer. Every pick is explained in full below, including who should skip it.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Singer M1500Adjustable stitch length, which the 1304 does not give you. | Best for an adult beginner | 6.0 | |
| 2 |  Singer Start 1304Preset stitches. Almost nothing to set wrong. | Best for a child or a nervous start | 6.1 | |
| 3 |  Brother XM2701Threader, visible bobbin and a one-step buttonhole. | Worth the small step up | 7.3 |
Scores are our editorial judgment on six axes, explained on the methodology page. We do not run a test lab and never claim to.
Buy the Singer M1500 if you are an adult learning to sew, and the Singer Start 1304 if you are buying for a child, a teenager, or someone who wants the smallest possible number of decisions between them and a straight seam. Both have six stitches. The difference is that the M1500 lets you adjust the stitch and the 1304 does not.
That single difference is worth more than it sounds, and it is the whole comparison. Everything else about these two machines - the light body, the four-step buttonhole, the front-loading bobbin, the modest fabric ceiling - is the same bargain in two boxes.
At a glance
Specifications as published by Singer.
Two rows carry the decision. On the 1304 the stitch length and width are fixed by the machine: you select a stitch and that is the stitch you get. On the M1500 you can lengthen or shorten it.
Why adjustable stitch length matters
Stitch length is not a refinement. It is one of the two settings that make a seam work.
A long stitch - around 3 to 3.5mm - is what heavy fabric wants, because it puts fewer holes in the cloth and asks less of the feed system. A short stitch holds better on fine fabric and on curves. A very long stitch is how you baste something temporarily, and how you gather a ruffle. None of that is available to you on a machine with a preset length.
In practice, a 1304 owner who tries to hem a pair of jeans or gather a skirt finds out that the machine will not do it, and there is no setting to change. A M1500 owner turns a dial. Our stitch guide has the length-per-job chart, and our denim settings guide shows what happens when you cannot set it.
Who the 1304 is actually for
Everything the last section said is a reason to buy the 1304 if the person using it is eleven.
Preset stitches remove the settings that confuse beginners. A child who selects a zigzag gets a usable zigzag, every time, with no chance of having set the width to zero and wondering why the machine is sewing straight. The 1304 is light enough for a child to carry, cheap enough that an abandoned hobby is not a disaster, and it has a free arm, which a lot of toy-class machines skip. That is why it is a pick in our roundup for kids.
It is also a reasonable choice for a very nervous adult beginner whose actual problem is being overwhelmed. Just buy it knowing you will replace it, which is a legitimate way to buy - see is a sewing machine worth it.
What they both ask of you
Neither machine has an automatic needle threader, so you thread the needle by eye. Neither has a drop-in bobbin, so the bobbin loads into a front case you cannot see into - which is the usual cause of thread bunching underneath. Both have a four-step buttonhole, which takes four passes and your own judgement of the length.
And neither is a thick-fabric machine. The 1304 in particular struggles past a couple of layers. If hemming jeans is anywhere in your reason for buying, both of these are the wrong machine and our denim roundup is the right page.
All three machines
The two Singers, plus the Brother that most buyers in this decision should look at.
Singer M1500
Six stitches with an adjustable length - the setting the 1304 fixes for you.
Skip it if You want a drop-in bobbin, an automatic threader, or anything approaching heavy fabric ability.
Singer Start 1304
Preset stitches, very light, and genuinely hard to set up wrong.
Skip it if You expect to sew garments regularly, or you want an automatic threader and a one-step buttonhole.
Brother XM2701
Automatic threader, drop-in bobbin and a one-step buttonhole for a small step up.
Skip it if You already know you will sew every week, or you want speed control and a quilting table.
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The picks in full
01 - Best for an adult beginner
Singer M1500
A no-frills mechanical machine that keeps turning up on best-cheap lists.
- 6 built-in stitches covering 57 stitch applications
- Four-step buttonhole
- Front-loading bobbin
- Light body, free arm
- Get it if
- You want the simplest mechanical machine that is still a real sewing machine, and you are happy to thread the needle yourself.
- Skip it if
- You want a drop-in bobbin, an automatic threader, or anything approaching heavy fabric ability.
The trade-off
It does the basics and nothing else. That is a fair deal, but the Brother XM2701 adds a threader and a one-step buttonhole for a small step up - and those two features are the ones beginners actually miss.
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How the Singer M1500 scores
Our judgment on the six axes described on the methodology page. Not measurements - we do not run a test lab.
- Setup and threading
- 6/10
- Everyday stitch quality
- 7/10
- Thick fabric
- 4/10
- Beginner features
- 4/10
- Durability reputation
- 6/10
- Help for this exact model
- 6/10
Overall 6.0/10
02 - Best for a child or a nervous start
Singer Start 1304
Six stitches, preset widths, almost nothing to get wrong.
- 6 built-in stitches with preset width and length
- Four-step buttonhole
- Very light - easy for a child or a small workspace
- Free arm for cuffs and sleeves
- Get it if
- You are buying for a child or a teenager, or you want the smallest possible number of decisions between you and a straight seam.
- Skip it if
- You expect to sew garments regularly, or you want an automatic threader and a one-step buttonhole.
The trade-off
Preset stitches remove the settings that confuse beginners - and also remove the settings you need as soon as you sew anything unusual. This is a machine you will outgrow, on purpose.
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How the Singer Start 1304 scores
Our judgment on the six axes described on the methodology page. Not measurements - we do not run a test lab.
- Setup and threading
- 8/10
- Everyday stitch quality
- 6/10
- Thick fabric
- 3/10
- Beginner features
- 5/10
- Durability reputation
- 5/10
- Help for this exact model
- 7/10
Overall 6.1/10
03 - Worth the small step up
Brother XM2701
The find-out-if-I-actually-like-this machine.
- 27 stitches, one-step buttonhole
- Automatic needle threader, drop-in bobbin
- 6 presser feet included
- Light enough to carry to a class
- Get it if
- You are not sure sewing will stick and you want a real, capable machine without spending what a better one costs.
- Skip it if
- You already know you will sew every week, or you want speed control and a quilting table.
The trade-off
Lightweight and basic. It does everything a beginner needs - buttonholes, zippers, hems - but you will outgrow it sooner than the CS7000X.
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How the Brother XM2701 scores
Our judgment on the six axes described on the methodology page. Not measurements - we do not run a test lab.
- Setup and threading
- 9/10
- Everyday stitch quality
- 7/10
- Thick fabric
- 5/10
- Beginner features
- 7/10
- Durability reputation
- 6/10
- Help for this exact model
- 9/10
Overall 7.3/10
Questions beginners actually ask
What is the difference between the Singer Start 1304 and the Singer M1500?
Both have six stitches, but the 1304's stitch length and width are preset and cannot be changed, while the M1500's stitch length is adjustable. That single difference decides most purchases, because stitch length is what you change for heavy fabric, basting and gathering.
Is the Singer Start 1304 good for an adult beginner?
It works, but you will hit its limits quickly. With no adjustable stitch length you cannot lengthen the stitch for thick fabric, baste or gather a ruffle. It is a better buy for a child or for someone who mainly wants the fewest possible settings.
Which is better for a child?
The Start 1304. Preset stitches mean a child cannot set the width to zero and then wonder why the zigzag is sewing straight, it is light enough for them to carry, and it still has a free arm for cuffs and sleeves.
Do either of these have an automatic needle threader?
No. Both are threaded by eye, and both use a front-loading bobbin you cannot see while you load it. If those two jobs matter to you, the Brother XM2701 has both and costs a small step more.
Can the Singer Start 1304 sew denim?
A single light layer at most. It struggles past a couple of layers, and with no adjustable stitch length you cannot lengthen the stitch to help it. For denim hems you want a metal-framed machine such as the Singer Heavy Duty 4423.
Sources
Specifications are taken from manufacturer listings. We do not run a test lab and never claim to - how each machine is assessed is set out on our methodology page.
Read next
- Singer Start 1304 review
- Singer M1500 review
- Brother XM2701 vs Singer M1500
- Best sewing machines for kids
Where the 1304 makes the most sense.