Simplicity SideWinder Portable Bobbin Winder

I have watched a few videos online and many people seemed very pleased with it. You can refill SPOOLS too with a little creativity. I have large cones and plan on using a thread stand with this little machine. I do machine embroidery and I thought that I could just sit and fill bobbins while watching TV since I had invested in large spools of bobbin thread already. Or fill bobbins while watching my designs stitch out. It really does seem like a good little machine to have. I've added the instructions here.I originally didn't think that I had gotten the correct item since it has Wrights on the bottom. It was faulty and I returned it. I ordered another Simplicity SideWinder and it also had Wrights on the bottom. I really liked it and found out that if you hold down the ON button after the machine has stopped you can fill the bobbin to the point where you want it.Update: 6/3/2018 - I do not use this anymore. I haven't gotten rid of it either. I just am not as enamored with it as I was in the beginning. I usually just fill 2-4 bobbins of the same color on my regular machine at the beginning of a project or when I need them. When I am doing a lot of sewing, it is easier to just use my sewing machine. I also use my sewing machine to fill bobbins while the embroidery machine is stitching out a design. I would be more likely to the portable bobbin winder, if I had a nice place for it to sit and it didn't need to be put away when done. I did try my hand at refilling spools from cones. Worked ok, but it is also easier to use a cone stand with the larger cones or wind thread onto bobbins and use a bobbin as top thread, if working on a small project.

OMG! This little thing is AMAZING! I had wanted one for a long time but hesitated because I thought there was no way it could work as well as it is supposed to but it does! The only regret I have is not getting it sooner! Please note that it shows metal bobbins in the packaging but it does use plastic ones as well (that's what I have been using). Also, it can use two double A batteries or the included power adapter as a power source. The only thing I would like to mention is that there is no marking for the stop switch for the bobbin winding. Once you press the red button, it stops only when the bobbin is full, but if you mess up (as i did the first time around and lost the hold on the thread pulled up through the hole in the bobbin) you can stop it by pushing the little phalange that holds the bobbin on once you put it down on the stem, pushing the arm up toward the thread spool will stop the bobbin winding if you need to reattach thread or start over for whatever reason. And honestly, it winds it in just a few seconds, its just great!

My Singer 6423 has sat unused since new (15 years). Now, I discover that the bobbin winder function doesn't work.This bobbin winder is a great idea, and must be a lot cheaper than repairing the Singer. But, when I plugged it in ... nothing.Rather than go through the return process, I elected to open the case to expose the works. I knew it had to be a simple device with very few components, would be easy to troubleshoot, and probably easy to repair.When I got it open, I found that it looked like it was assembled by a young child. The wiring was not neat, the solder joints were horrible, and the two positive wires were not even connected to the "start" switch.A few minutes with my soldering iron, and ... voila!I wound a couple of bobbins, and it works great! It takes longer to get the thread through the guide, around the tension wheel, and through the hole in a bobbin than it does to fill a bobbin. I was surprised to find that the bobbin holds about 80% of the thread on a standard spool. You can always stop the winder at less than a full bobbin by pushing the sensor lever away from the bobbin.

I read the reviews so I knew what I was buying and here are a few of my suggestions to get the most out of this winder. Remove the lid as it makes this top heavy. Yes it winds more on top so be ready and use your awl, small scissors, finger etc. to move the thread down and up to get an even bobbin. Let the machine stop by it's self, don't unplug it halfway through winding to "fix" it as that will restart the machine's "timing" It does shut off when the bobbin is full. The machine winds fast, it is simple to use and it works great. This is a basic winding format and nothing like your sewing machine's bobbin winder, but with a few user adjustments it can quickly become an essential in your sewing room.