Singer HD6805C Heavy Duty computerised sewing machine, 586 stitches, 9 buttonholes

The machine offers 586 stitches: alongside straight and zigzag stitches you get decorative and utility stitches for embellishing, finishing edges and mending. Stitches are selected electronically, and the LCD display shows which one is active. Stitch width and length can be changed, so the same stitch can be adapted both to a thin fabric and to a denser material.

HD6805C sews buttonholes in one step: the machine stitches both sides and both ends of the buttonhole in sequence by itself, so you do not have to turn the fabric or change settings in between. There are nine buttonhole styles to choose from, which helps if you sew shirts, jackets and children's clothes where buttons and fabrics differ.

The automatic needle threader helps guide the thread through the eye of the needle without straining your eyes. Bobbin winding is automatic, and the thread cutter button trims both the top and bottom threads at the end of a seam. Together these three functions save time exactly where sewing tends to drag on most: at the start of a project and whenever you change thread.

The manufacturer calls this model Heavy Duty and lists a maximum speed of 1100 revolutions per minute. A high speed is useful on long straight seams, such as curtains, bed linen or tablecloths, where you do not need to watch every centimetre. Pressing the foot pedal more lightly slows the machine down so you keep control on curves and corners.

On a machine with a horizontal shuttle the bobbin drops in from above, under the needle plate, so you do not have to turn the machine around or remove a bobbin case to change the lower thread. The machine weighs 6.55 kg, which keeps it steady on the table while sewing yet still lets you lift it from a cupboard to the table and back. The body is grey.

Singer HD6805C Heavy Duty suits home sewists who want a wide choice of stitches and one-step buttonholes, and anyone who has found threading and trimming thread tedious so far. The automation helps a beginner get started faster, while a more experienced sewist benefits from 586 stitches and a speed of up to 1100 rpm.