I bought this serger to use as a spare machine. At first glance, I wasn't sure it would be up to the job, because I use my sewing machines heavily. Foot lift is in an awkward place, but it is serviceable. After adjusting the tension on a few scraps, I went on to construct a corduroy skirt. Stitching and tension were even and when I had to go over 4 layers of corduroy fabric, it did the job with ease. When I sewed the sides of the skirt, I had the machine going flat out at top speed, with satisfactory stitching and tension. Over all, I was pleasantly surprised at its job performance. For the price, I think it is an excellent value as a spare machine or for a good starter machine for one who never used a serger. As with all sergers, patience is needed when threading the loopers but if you tie off the thread cones at the top of the holders with a tight but tiny knot when changing colors, if you sew very slowly on a scrap of fabric, you can change the threads without the hassle of threading the loopers and top threads.