Singer HD6705C Heavy Duty sewing machine, 200 stitches, LCD screen, grey

The HD6705C belongs to Singer's Heavy Duty series, and the manufacturer lists enhanced piercing power as a key feature: the needle goes through dense material more firmly instead of stalling. That matters when you sew denim, coat fabric, several layers of cotton or curtains. A top speed of 1000 RPM gets long straight seams done quickly, while the speed control lets you slow the same machine down when precision matters more than pace.

The machine stores 200 stitches, selected with touch buttons and shown on the LCD screen. Stitch width adjusts up to 7 mm and length up to 4.5 mm, so the same stitch can be made finer on light fabric or wider and bolder as a decorative detail. The screen replaces turning dials and makes it easier to repeat the same settings from one project to the next.

Buttonholes are sewn in one step: the machine stitches the whole buttonhole in a single cycle, without turning the fabric or switching modes halfway through. The automatic needle threader passes the thread through the eye of the needle even when your eyesight or the room lighting is not at its sharpest, and the LED lighting brightens the work area right around the needle. Both save the most time when you change thread often.

A free arm means part of the sewing bed comes off, leaving a narrow arm under the needle that sleeves, trouser legs and other tubular pieces slip over. The box includes a multipurpose foot, buttonhole foot, blind hem foot, zipper foot and satin stitch foot, plus four bobbins, large and small spool holders, a spool felt, an auxiliary spool, an L screwdriver, a brush with seam ripper and a soft needle cover.

The HD6705C suits a home sewer who mends and alters clothes, makes curtains and bags and wants a machine that copes with heavier materials too. Beginners get help from the automatic needle threader, the screen and the one-step buttonhole; more experienced users get 200 stitches, a 7 mm stitch width and up to 1000 RPM. The grey body weighs 6.15 kg, so it stays put on the table yet still lifts into a cupboard.