Singer 3116 Review (2023 Update)

Note from the Editor: This Singer 3116 Review was originally written in 2015, and has been revised and updated in 2023. Since the Singer 3116 is no longer manufactured, we have added alternatives such as Janome 2212, Singer 4432, and Singer Making The Cut.

When a friend invited me to review her Singer 3116, I wasn’t sure what to expect. She is a member of the American Sewing Guild and is very particular about her sewing machines and insists that they perform with perfect precision at all times.

Her go to sewing machine is an all metal Singer from the 1960s or 70s and entirely too heavy to carry around. She bought the Singer 3116 because of its portability. This is the machine she takes to ASG meetings.

Singer 3116- Overview

The Singer 3116 has what just might be one of the easiest to understand and use stitch selection systems I’ve seen on any sewing machine.

There is also a detachable work table that holds the accessories. When removed, it reveals the free arm, the bobbin housing and the drop feed slider. If you have read any of my other reviews of machines with the drop feed in this position, you know how much I dislike this placement. On the upside, however, there is also an on board needle threader, a thread cutter and an oversized reverse stitch lever.

What are some alternatives for the Singer 3116?

I was not originally expecting to review a Singer 3116 as it has been discontinued for a good minute now. Here are some close alternatives to the Singer 3116 that I have also reviewed and would recommend.

Read a detailed review of the Janome 2212 here.

Read a detailed review of the Singer 4432 here.

What are the features on Singer 3116?

The Singer 3116 is equipped with the following standard features:

• 17 decorative and utility stitch options
• 1 one-step buttonhole
• Adjustable presser foot pressure
• Manual tension adjustment
• Adjustable stitch length and width
• On board thread cutter
• On board needle threader
• Reverse stitch lever
• Drop feed slider
• Free arm
• Front loading bobbin

Working on the Singer 3116

Winding the bobbin and threading the Singer Simple 3116 is so easy an elementary school student could master the process with just a little assistance.

Before putting the bobbin in place, however, it is necessary to first remove the work table and expose the free arm. The drop feed control lever is to the immediate right of the bobbin housing.

On numerous occasions, I have expressed my displeasure with the placement of this feature. It is impossible to attach buttons, darn or perform freehand sewing tasks without first stopping to remove the work table. Quite frankly, if I owned one of these sewing machines, I would probably never put the work table in place except when working on large, heavy sewing projects. In my opinion, this is very inefficient designing. The good news, however, is the stitch selection process. It is possibly the simplest, least complicated stitch selection process I have seen on any sewing machine to date. Each stitch has a letter assigned to it. The letters are displayed prominently in a window on front of the machine.

The stitch selection dial is located on the right hand side of the Singer 3116, just beneath the hand wheel. By turning the stitch selection dial clockwise or counterclockwise, you simply dial up the letter next to the desired stitch and you’re set. The stitch length and width adjustment dials are on the very top of the machine.

I tested every stitch option and found that the Singer Simple 3116 is quiet and fast and the stitch quality was excellent. Then the owner told me the bad news. Although the quality of each stitch is superb, she revealed that she has problems with the machine jamming in the middle of a seam.

She said that she would be sewing along with no problems whatsoever and the machine just stops moving, leaving a mass of tangled thread beneath the feed dogs.

What fabrics work on the Singer 3116?

Fabrics that work	Fabrics that don’t work
Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester Upholstery	Leather/suede Fur Reptile skin Canvas/Twill Plastic/Rubber Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers Knits(Medium to heavyweight only)

What accessories come with the Singer 3116?

The list of standard accessories that come with the Singer Simple 3116 includes:

• 4 Snap on presser feet
  • All purpose
  • Zipper
  • Buttonhole
  • Button
• Seam ripper/lint brush
• Seam guide
• Needles
• Bobbins
• Spool holders
• Screwdrivers
• Scissors
• Instructional DVD
• Owner’s manual

An extra spool pin and nine additional specialty presser feet are available as optional accessories and may be purchased separately:

• Satin stitch
• Overcast
• Hemming
• Cording
• Blind hem
• Darning
• Gathering
• Quilting
• Even feed

How to maintain the Singer 3116?

Maintenance activities	After each use	Monthly	Once each year	As needed
Clean race hook and feed dogs	Yes	No	No	No
Wipe head with soft dry cloth	No	No	No	Yes
Wipe head with soft damp cloth	No	No	No	Yes
Lubricate	No	No	No	Yes
Service by sewing machine repair professional	No	No	No	Yes

Singer 3116- Summary

On the surface, the Singer Simple 3116 is a good sewing machine which. When you go beyond the surface, however, the story isn’t quite as rosy. The plusses… it’s easy to thread, the bobbin winds easily and, the stitch selection process is one of the most user friendly systems available and the stitch quality is great – that is when the stitches don’t bunch up under the feed dogs.

On the downside, the Singer Simple 3116 has a cumbersome bobbin housing and drop feed. The most damaging problem, however, is the fact that the stitches, regardless of how great they may look, have a tendency to bunch up. If this machine was not being used by someone who has been sewing for many decades and knows her sewing machines backward and forward, I might be inclined to suggest that perhaps she did not adjust the tension properly or that the problem was caused by some other user error.

The way she explained the problem was “It would be sewing perfectly and then, the thread just bunches up”. If the tension setting was not correct, it would not sew perfectly before the threads bunched up. This is definitely a problem with the machine itself and for that reason I cannot recommend its use by beginners of any age.

People who are learning how to sew do not need to be challenged by working on a machine that stops working for no apparent reason; nor should anyone else, no matter how well they sew or how long they have been sewing. As they say, “You get what you pay for”. When it comes to this economically priced mechanical sewing machine, that certainly is the case.

It looks good; it’s easy to operate; but the stitch quality is not reliable. What good are all of those great qualities if the most important feature falls short? Concluding my review, my advice to anyone who purchases a Singer Simple 3116 is go into this relationship with your eyes wide open. The owner of the machine I reviewed uses it sparingly… only when she needs to take a sewing machine to a meeting of her chapter of the American Sewing Guild. She said it’s ‘a nuisance, but one that I have learned to put up with’.

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