56.1 The Singer C5200 is a computerized sewing machine with 80 built-in stitches. It also has an LCD control panel, a free arm, and it includes an extension table. Owners find it fairly user-friendly and report that it makes a nice stitch. However there are a host of complaints about the machine and many folks find that the C5200 has issues with thread jamming and breaking. There are also a number of other concerns such as a reverse button that sometimes doesn’t work, breaking needles, and noisy operation. Overall, in our opinion, there are too many negatives reported to make this unit attractive.
Consumer Ratings
C5200 owner ratings were found on two quality online retail sites – see table below. In total, 145 ratings were found and a weighted averaged was applied to get an overall score of 56.1 out of 100 (or about 2.8 stars out of 5).
C5200 owner ratings were found on two quality online retail sites – see table below. In total, 145 ratings were found and a weighted averaged was applied to get an overall score of 56.1 out of 100 (or about 2.8 stars out of 5).
| Source | Consumer Rating | # Ratings |
| Amazon.com | 3.5 stars out of 5 | 33 |
| Joann | 2.6 stars out of 5 | 112 |
The C5200 has taken the place of the Singer 6699 Starlet as the second lowest scoring sewing machine on our website (the worst scoring being the Singer QuickFix). A score of 56.1 out of 100 is a pretty dismal rating considering the large number of sewing machines that score much higher – see our sewing machine ratings table.
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TIP - Better Singer Sewing Machines
If Singer is your brand of choice you may want to consider some of the higher scoring Singer machines. Following is a list of the top 5 scoring Singer sewing machines on our website.
You also may want to consider avoiding some of the lower rated Singer machines on our site. These include:
- Singer QuickFix - Singer 6699 Starlet - Singer 2932 - Singer 6199 Brilliance - Singer 3116 Simple - Singer 5400 Sew Mate - Singer CG-590 |
Pros & Cons
A thorough review of owner comments from multiple sources has provided the following C5200 pros and cons:
PROS
- Easy to setup
- Fairly user-friendly
- Makes a nice stitch
- Feeds material smoothly
- Lots of decorative stitches
- Easy to setup
- Fairly user-friendly
- Makes a nice stitch
- Feeds material smoothly
- Lots of decorative stitches
CONS
- Often results in thread jamming/breaking
- Some say it is rather loud
- Needle sometimes hits bobbin casing
- Easy to bend or break needles
- Difficult to adjust tension properly
- Sometimes reverse stitch button doesn’t work
- Lighting is a little dim
- Some complaints that machine construction is poor
- Often results in thread jamming/breaking
- Some say it is rather loud
- Needle sometimes hits bobbin casing
- Easy to bend or break needles
- Difficult to adjust tension properly
- Sometimes reverse stitch button doesn’t work
- Lighting is a little dim
- Some complaints that machine construction is poor
Probably the most common comment about the C5200 is how often the thread jams and/or breaks. Many owners complain of this issue and also report that they sometimes spend long periods of time sorting out the jam and trying to get the machine back up and running properly. This issue is highly frustrating for a significant number of owners.
Others highlight that the tension is very hard to set and that sometimes the tension dial itself doesn’t work properly. In addition, some owners have stated that the reverse stitch button sometimes does not work.
A few folks have indicated that the unit is rather loud and that they have had issues with the bobbin – including the needle hitting the bobbin casing. All-in-all quite a few people have reported a host of issues and some feel the machine is just poorly made.
But the unit does have a score of over 50% so there are some happy owners out there. These folks like that setting up the machine is generally quite easy and operating the C5200 is intuitive. They also like the large number of stitches available, and they highlight that the machine makes a nice stitch and feeds material well.
If you want to learn more you may want to consider reading more C5200 owner reviews on Amazon.
Key Specifications
- 80 stitches
- 6 one-step buttonhole styles
- Touch button stitch selection
- LCD control panel
- LED lighting
- Built-in needle threader
- Adjustable stitch length and width
- Free arm capable
- Front loading bobbin
- Reverse button
- Snap-on presser feet
- Extra-high presser foot lift
- 13 needle positions
- Class 15 bobbin
- 80 stitches
- 6 one-step buttonhole styles
- Touch button stitch selection
- LCD control panel
- LED lighting
- Built-in needle threader
- Adjustable stitch length and width
- Free arm capable
- Front loading bobbin
- Reverse button
- Snap-on presser feet
- Extra-high presser foot lift
- 13 needle positions
- Class 15 bobbin
Stitch Chart
The following chart shows the 80 built-in stitches provided with the C5200.
The following chart shows the 80 built-in stitches provided with the C5200.
Other Features
- The unit has a metal frame which helps create a stronger and more “stiff” machine (more stiff than a machine with a plastic frame).
- A darning plate is provided and this can be placed over the feed teeth for free motion sewing.
- The C5200 weighs 13.8 lbs which is not too heavy (but there are lighter machines – you may want to see our list of the best portable sewing machines).
- The unit has a metal frame which helps create a stronger and more “stiff” machine (more stiff than a machine with a plastic frame).
- A darning plate is provided and this can be placed over the feed teeth for free motion sewing.
- The C5200 weighs 13.8 lbs which is not too heavy (but there are lighter machines – you may want to see our list of the best portable sewing machines).
Accessories
A host of accessories are provided with the C5200 including 8 presser feet:
A host of accessories are provided with the C5200 including 8 presser feet:
1) All-purpose foot
2) Roller foot
3) Zipper foot
4) Invisible zipper foot
5) Blind hem foot
6) Overcasting foot
7) Buttonhole foot
8) Button sewing foot
2) Roller foot
3) Zipper foot
4) Invisible zipper foot
5) Blind hem foot
6) Overcasting foot
7) Buttonhole foot
8) Button sewing foot
You will also get Singer class 15 metal bobbins, a screwdriver, a seam ripper & lint brush, spool pin felt, thread spool caps, needles, and an auxiliary spool pin. These accessories can be stored in the on-board storage compartment which can be removed to use the free arm. In addition, there is an extension table, a soft dust cover, and a darning plate.
Warranty
You will often see the warranty for the Singer C5200 referred to as “90/2/25” or sometimes the reverse “25/2/90”. This means 25-years/2-years/90-days which breaks down as follows:
- Limited 25-year warranty on the sewing machine head.
- Limited 2- year warranty on electric parts such as motors, lighting assembly, wiring, speed control, switches, and electronic components.
- Limited 90-day warranty on attachments, belts, bulbs, rings, and adjustments.
You will often see the warranty for the Singer C5200 referred to as “90/2/25” or sometimes the reverse “25/2/90”. This means 25-years/2-years/90-days which breaks down as follows:
- Limited 25-year warranty on the sewing machine head.
- Limited 2- year warranty on electric parts such as motors, lighting assembly, wiring, speed control, switches, and electronic components.
- Limited 90-day warranty on attachments, belts, bulbs, rings, and adjustments.
Sewing Machine Manual
The manual is provided in English, French and Spanish. The manual has reasonably clear illustrations and covers the basics. There is information on how to setup the machine and descriptions of the different features and how to use them. There is also a section on starting to sew which covers the different stitch types. In addition, there is some information on caring for your machine but it is very short. You can see the manual here: Singer C5200 Sewing Machine Manual
The manual is provided in English, French and Spanish. The manual has reasonably clear illustrations and covers the basics. There is information on how to setup the machine and descriptions of the different features and how to use them. There is also a section on starting to sew which covers the different stitch types. In addition, there is some information on caring for your machine but it is very short. You can see the manual here: Singer C5200 Sewing Machine Manual
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Hello! My name is Alison and I started Sewing Machine Ratings over 10 years ago. Since then I’ve reviewed scores of sewing machines. Sewing has been a hobby for me since I was a young and I love to make my own clothing.