Brother ST371HD Strong & Tough 37-Stitch Sewing Machine

Very reliable, easy to use. No maintenance or trouble since purchase.

This sewing machine is really well made. Beware of the thread you used though, it can be tricky. But really, the machine is very sturdy and easy to use

When my old machine (a workhorse Viking) self-destructed during the Pandemic, I needed a machine for craft fabrics: rip-stop nylon, denim, Tyvek, feed bags, and so forth. I was skeptical that such an inexpensive machine as this could do that, but decided to risk it. This little machine has been great for this kind of sewing. It can go through layers of thick fabric as well as smoothly sew through plastic fabrics. It's also been good for clothing. Yeah, it could use a brighter light and more bobbins, but those things are fixable.

Great machine, handles the tough stuff and works great for finer fabrics as well

I love this machine! Replacing another Brother. I’ve had my new Brother for about 10 days with no problems. That is a record with me.

This machine is garbage and worse than the machine is the instruction booklet. The three dials on the top, including the tension wheel, they appear to do absolutely nothing. Changing them makes NO difference. It's the same super tight, super short stitch. Want to thread a bobbin? Aside from the crazy path you need to take, in the first place, the bobbin won't work anyway. The feed dogs don't hold anything, I have to guide everything with two hands or it just slip slides my fabric any which way. It makes this weird 'chunk' noise like a needle snapped even though it didn't. And I bought it to hem denim jeans, tho it struggles to get through them. I had a much lower end, much more basic Brother prior to this and it was so much easier to use. This machine is a waste of money. The idea is there but the execution is not. Like another reviewer said, sometimes it purrs along just fine but suddenly, it starts bird nesting my lower thread.

Took me a little while to learn all the buttons but absolutely great after learning all the dial numbers etc to make machine run properly on different materials.

I have 30 years of sewing experience. This is the worst machine I ever had. It has no power and can't even sew over 4 layers of thin fabric material. I got a jam and now the machine only sews backwards. Imagine that!

me encantan sus productos.Desde hace anos disfruto de sus maquinas de coser;

This is a really great machine. Sews through thick denim beautifully and the same with silk. Has been easy to learn. So happy!

This sewing machine is replacement for my 53 year old Kenmore. So far it has been responding very well. I have done mending, doll clothes and new pieces. I like the feature of the top drop in bobbin. Makes my sewing set up much easier.

My machine is only about 2 years old and seldom used. After using the reverse lever, the machine is stuck in reverse. I would like to know if there is a part that needs to be ordered to fix it because taking my machine to a repairman requires a 4 hour round trip. Where can I find a machine diagram of this machine's parts?

I thought I was having tension problems but after having an authorized Brother service center look at it I found that it was my fault. Apparently I was not pulling the bobbin thread snugly into the notch (?) before it winds off to the left side. Suggestion: hold the bobbin down with your right hand and drawing the thread snugly into the notch (which should unwind as illustrated on machine). The service center also suggested using polyester thread. My ST371HD works great thanks to the people at the service center (Shields in Iowa City)..

My Brother Strong and Tough mechanical sewing machine was breaking the thread because the thread was getting stuck in threading area #3. Now there is no way to remove the thread stuck in that area and I guess I will have to take it to a service shop. So much for Strong and Tough after just three months of light use.

I've had this machine for a couple of years now. It far surpassed my needs for a basic sewing machine. I use good quality thread, and it sews like a champ. I would buy another one if this one quit working.

If I ever own a machine that performs worse than this one, I'd be surprised! I am truly, utterly, and wholeheartedly saddened, disappointed, and upset that this machine is as useless as it is. I have had the worst possible experience with this machine. Prior to this machine I was sewing with another Brother machine for the past 10 years (and it was a dream!). I've watched every video/tutorial/read the manual and still have many issues with the machine. One minute it "can" get through a simple (2 cotton pieces) pleat, another minute it can't get past anything. I steam press all my pleats before sewing to minimize bulk and sometimes it's fine, others not so much. I'm using the same fabric/ materials over and over and over and the machine spontaneously chooses when it wants to perform well. YES, I have the correct foot on, YES, I have tried the different sized needles, YES, I have adjusted my thread tension. The top thread comes undone a zillion times, back stitching is a nightmare, the thread tension auto adjusts as well. One minute its beautiful, crisp and perfect, and the next minute it's skipping threads, loose, and bunching up on the bottom - even when I'm sewing on the same two pieces of material (same project). I just can't seem to get this machine to run consistently and perform the way I had hoped it would.

The tension is very unreliable. And the needle and thread sizes are correct. Constant problems with lower/upper or both. I just replaced an older Brother due to tension issues. I now have a new bobbin holder on order for it so I can trash this one.

I bought this machine in March 2020 to replace an older brother model. I absolutely hate it. The side thread just gets caught over and over and I am re-threading the needle a hundred times an hour. I had to tape the spool to the handle to prevent this from happening. As far as durability, Even though it’s “strong & tough”, it’s no different than my older model. I am disappointed, what’s waste of my money. If I could return it I absolutely would. I will need to buy a different machine so I do not deal with this aggravation.

I am in my 70s, and this is the third machine I have ever bought. It sews like a dream. It can handle the sturdy fabric for making seat sacks for my grand kids classrooms, and I expect it will outlast me. Sadly, I have lost the accessories pouch that came with it. I hope there will be a way I can purchase a new one.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have never used a sewing machine before but my mother has been making clothes and such with her sewing machine for over thirty years. When I received this Brother sewing machine I asked my mother to try it and give me a quick demonstration. It seemed relatively easy and she said it is a good sewing machine. I will probably get a better hang of it after a lot more practice.