Reviews · Best for children
Singer Start 1304 review: six stitches and almost nothing to get wrong
The machine we recommend for children and for anyone who wants the fewest possible decisions.
By Michael W. · Published
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The Singer Start 1304 makes one promise and keeps it: there is almost nothing on it to set wrong. Six stitches, each with its width and length already fixed by the machine. Turn the dial to the picture of the stitch you want and sew.
For an adult buying their own first machine, that is usually too little. For a ten-year-old, a nervous absolute beginner, or a household that wants a machine for hems twice a year, it is exactly right.
Why preset stitches help, until they do not
Most early sewing disasters are settings problems. A zigzag set too wide, a stitch length left at zero, tension nudged while dusting. The 1304 removes those failure modes by removing the settings, which is a genuine kindness to a beginner.
It also removes the settings you need the moment you sew something unusual. You cannot narrow the zigzag for a fine knit. You cannot lengthen the stitch for basting. The day you want to, the machine simply says no.
Buying it for a child
This is the use we recommend it for most confidently. It is light, it is cheap enough that an abandoned hobby is not a disaster, and it has a free arm, which many toy-class machines skip - that is what lets you sew a sleeve or a trouser cuff without turning it inside out.
It is still a real sewing machine with a real needle. Supervision is not optional, and the slowest speed is not slow. Our machines for kids roundup goes through the safety practicalities properly.
What it lacks
No automatic needle threader - you thread by eye, which is the single most common complaint from adult owners. A four-step buttonhole. And very little tolerance for thickness: two layers of quilting cotton is comfortable, four layers of denim is not going to happen.
For a child, or for a beginner who wants more room to grow
Singer Start 1304
Six preset stitches, very light, and cheap enough to risk on a new interest.
Skip it if You expect to sew garments regularly, or you want an automatic threader and a one-step buttonhole.
Brother XM2701
The machine a motivated teenager will not outgrow in a month.
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 machine in full
Best for children and absolute beginners
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
Questions beginners actually ask
Is the Singer Start 1304 good for a child?
Yes - it is our pick for children. It is light enough to carry, has preset stitches so there is little to set wrong, and includes a free arm for sleeves and cuffs. It is still a real machine with a real needle, so supervision is required.
Does the Singer Start 1304 have an automatic needle threader?
No. You thread the needle by eye, and it is the most common complaint from adult owners. If that matters to you, the Brother XM2701 has one for a modest step up.
Can you adjust stitch length on the Singer Start 1304?
No. The six stitches have preset widths and lengths. That is deliberate - it removes the settings beginners most often get wrong - but it also means you cannot adapt the stitch for knits, basting or topstitching.
Will the Singer Start 1304 sew denim?
Not meaningfully. Two layers of light denim with the right needle may work; a folded jeans hem will not. For thick fabric you need 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.