Singer Serger 14SH654: The Finishing Touch To Your Sewing Room?

Sergers are more expensive, generally speaking, than sewing machines at a similar level, but there are several budget models that consistently rate highly with consumers. The Finishing Touch is one of them. Is it the best new tool for your sewing room? Let’s find out in this Singer Serger 14SH654 review, shall we?

About the Singer Finishing Touch 14SH654

The Singer Sewing Machine Company has been a household name in the United States for more than 170 years.

Industrial overlock sewing machines have been around almost that long — since the late nineteenth century. But home sergers are a fairly new invention. 1964, to be exact. Singer released its home serger, the Quantumlock 4, in 1990. This was a 2-3-4 serger with seven built-in stitches and no differential feed.

Overlockers haven’t changed significantly in the intervening years. However, general market developments have resulted in a generous choice of machines at different price points and with different features.

The Finishing Touch 14SH654 is a budget serger with some pretty neat features.

This model does have a differential feed mechanism, for example, like most modern sergers, and unlike the Quantumlock 4. 

Also, like Singer’s 44-series of sewing machines, the Singer Finishing Touch 14SH654 has a heavy-duty metal frame. 

It comes with a free arm, which not every serger does, and the stitching speed, 1300 stitches per minute, is on par with that of other quality home sergers.

This model does, of course, have its limitations. It’s a 3-4 serger, for one. This means that although it can make the strong, stretchy, finished seams that we all expect from a serger, you won’t be using it for delicate two-thread stitching.

Also, it only has four built-in stitches, which is a step down from its predecessor. And it has fewer built-in stitches than many similar models at this price point.

But, if consumer reviews are anything to go by, the Singer Finishing Touch 14SH654 has a huge fan base. So let’s have a look under the hood.

Are You Looking for a Budget Serger?

The market for home sergers is vast. As you’ll see if you read our review of the best sergers currently available, there are a lot of choices, and a surprising diversity of available features. You have to be careful in your selection to make sure you get everything you want.

But first you have to decide what those features are. 

Here are a few of our must-haves.

Ease of Use

A serger is a complicated instrument, notoriously difficult to thread and fiddly to operate. Two to three needles, two loopers, and all those thread cones…it’s enough to make a person’s eyes cross. 

So anything a manufacturer can do to make setup and operation easier is a bonus. 

Threading

There are two different ways that a manufacturer may try to make threading easier for the user. 

The first is a color-coded threading diagram (see image above for the 14SH654’s), and many regular sewing machines have these too. It’s basically a little map that shows you the path your threads should take from the thread cones, through the tension discs, then in, over, under, and around all of those pesky thread guides. Often, the thread guides are color-marked as well, to show which threads should go through them.

The video below is for the 754, but it’ll give you an idea of how it works.

If you’re lucky enough to have a bit of cash to drop on a premium serger, you can opt for a self-threading model, like the Baby Lock Celebrate. Self-threading sergers use pressurized air and a series of tubes to thread your machine. All you have to do is press a button. It’s neat, but at this point, it’s only available on high-end serger machines.

Check it out.

Threading your serger can be a pain in the neck the first few times. But so was threading your first sewing machine. Remember?

As nifty as an air-threader is, with practice — and a good pair of tweezers — there’s no reason you can’t master threading a serger, as well.

Stitch Adjustments

Adjusting stitch length and width on a regular sewing machine is pretty straightforward. For a computerized machine, you push a button or use your touch screen. Mechanical sewing machines have knobs and dials.

Most sergers have a dial to adjust stitch length. but stitch width adjustments are a bit different.

Two factors contribute to stitch width on a serger: stitch finger placement and the position of your upper cutting blade.

Some overlockers require you to remove, switch out, or change the position of your stitch finger. The same goes for the top cutting blade.

Other machines, however, have a dial or lever that moves the stitch finger for you. You might also have a dial that lifts the cutting blade out of the way.

These are very worthwhile conveniences, in my opinion, and well worth seeking out.

Number of threads

How many threads do you need on your serger?

That depends on how you’re planning to use it.

To make the strong, stretchy, covered seams that sergers are famous for, three and four threads will suffice.

However, if you’re going to be sewing delicate fabrics, and especially if you’re planning to do some decorative edging, then you’ll need two-thread capability.

Likewise, for heavy fabrics and super-strong stress-bearing seams, you might want five or more threads.

Built-in stitches

Just like a regular sewing machine, sergers are capable of making different types of stitches. 

Some stitches are a combination of two built-in stitches. But others are base functions built into the machine. And not every machine will have all of the same built-ins.

Almost all sergers will come with three-thread and four-thread overlock built in. These are the stitches for which many of us buy a serger in the first place. But there are others, too.

You might find, for example, flatlock stitches, safety stitches (and mock safety stitches), a chain stitch and a rolled hem.

Not every serger will have all of the possible stitch types.

Before you press “buy,” think about the types of stitches you might use. Then choose your serger accordingly.

Not sure what’s what? Check out our post on the most common serger stitches to bring yourself up to speed.

Differential feed

Your regular sewing machine has one set of feed dogs to move the fabric through the machine. Sergers have two sets. The differential feed mechanism allows you to adjust the speed of your serger’s feed dog sets relative to one another.

This can come in handy when working with stretch fabrics and knits, or for special effects like ruffles and gathers.

Most sergers have a differential feed range of between 0.5 and 2.0. Some have a broader range, which means a greater ability to fine-tune the amount of stretch or compression of your fabric during sewing.

This may or may not make a difference to your sewing, but it’s a good thing to be aware of.

Accessories

The accessories packs that come with regular sewing machines can range from minimal to extravagant. Serger accessories packages tend to be on the more modest end of the scale. Still, there are some essentials to look for.

Trim trap

Serger blades trim your fabric edges as you sew. This, as you might imagine, produces quite a bit of waste. 

Some sergers have a built-in waste compartment. This is a very handy thing, especially since if you buy one separately, you’re going to pay quite a bit for it.

It’s not a dealbreaker. In fact, many people’s first serger project is a homemade waste catcher[1]. 

But it’s nice if your machine comes with one.

Tweezers

Many sergers come pre-threaded. However, there will absolutely come a time when you’ll need to thread your serger by yourself.

Unless you have a self-threading model, you’ll probably need tweezers to do it. This is because a serger’s thread guides can be small and difficult to access.

You can, of course, use the tweezers in your medicine chest. But it’s a thoughtful gesture for a manufacturer to include a set of serger tweezers.

Needles

Some sergers use regular sewing machine needles. Others, however, require special serger needles. 

If your serger requires special needles, it’s a wonderful thing if the manufacturer includes extras.

Cone adapters

You can use either spool thread or cone thread with your serger. However, sergers use a lot of thread. So for many people, it’s more cost-effective to use large cones of thread.

Because the spool pins are made to accommodate spools as well as cones, large thread cones can rattle around on them. This, in turn, can affect your stitching.

Cone adaptors are small pieces of plastic that sit on the spool pin beneath your thread cone. They hold the cone steady.

They’re not expensive or difficult to acquire. However, it’s always a nice touch if the manufacturer throws a few in with your purchase.

Features and Benefits Review of the Singer 14SH654

What makes the Singer Finishing Touch 14SH654 a great little 3-4 serger? Have a look.

Stitch width selector

One of the best features of this model, in our opinion, is the stitch width selector. No messing about moving, removing, and switching around stitch fingers. Simply turn the well-marked dial.

Built-in rolled hem

A rolled hem is a useful and versatile serger function. Unfortunately, on many models, you have to open up the machine and fiddle around inside to set the machine up to do it.

The Singer 14SH654, however, has a built-in rolled hem function that you can activate with the flick of a switch.

Free arm

On many regular sewing machines, you can remove part of the base to reveal the free arm, a smaller working surface that’s essential for small, circular projects, such as cuffs, for example.

Some sergers have one, but many do not. The Singer 14SH654 does have a free arm, and that’s a definite tick in the positives box as far as we’re concerned.

Alternatives to the Singer Serger 14SH654

No review would be complete without a look at the competition. Here are three similar models that may also tick your boxes.

Singer X5004HD Heavy Duty Serger

Like the Singer 14SH654, the Singer X5004HD has a heavy duty metal frame, but this model is a bit more full-featured. Check this out:

• 2, 3, and 4 stitch capability
• 8 built-in stitches
• 60 percent larger cutting knife

All that, plus it will run you some 40 percent less than the Singer 14SH654.

Brother 1034D 

The Brother 1034D is a 3-4 serger, like the Singer 14SH654. And, like the Singer, the Brother 1034D has a huge number of outstanding customer reviews. It has a similar number of built-in stitches — 5 — and it even has a metal frame.

However, the Brother 1034D costs a bit less.

If budget is your main concern, this could be a good option for you. Find out more about the Brother serger 1034D in our full review.

Janome 8002D

When speaking of budget equipment, the Janome brand rarely comes up in conversation. Janome makes expensive machines, full stop.

That makes the Janome 8002D something of a unicorn. It’s a full-featured 3-4 serger that comes loaded with features, and costs a good 40 percent less than the Singer 14SH654. 

Let’s have a look at some of those features.

• Built-in rolled hem
• Extended differential feed range (0.5 to 2.25)
• Stitch width dial
• Retractable knife
• Adjustable foot pressure

And that’s for a start.

If you’re looking for a well-made, extremely reasonably priced 3-4 serger, this could be the model for you.

Singer Serger 14SH654 Review: The Last Word

As you can probably tell by this review, we really like the Singer Finishing Touch 14SH654. It’s well built, has some decent features, and if you’re looking for a starter serger, you can do a lot with this.

It is a bit more expensive than comparable models, especially considering it has only four built-in stitches. And if you’re looking for a serger to do delicate two-thread stitching, this isn’t it.

However, over 5,000 ecstatic customer reviews don’t lie. By and large, the people who have purchased this serger really, really love it.

For these reasons, we’re happy to recommend the Singer Finishing Touch 14SH654 as a first serger, as well as for anyone who needs a reliable machine for making three and four-thread seams. It’s a great machine.

REFERENCES

1. American Patchwork & Quilting | Serger Thread Catcher | https://www.allpeoplequilt.com/bags-pillows-gifts/bags-and-purses/serger-thread-catcher#main-content