I restored an old singer 201-2 from the fifties. My wife is using it now to make some denim quilts for Christmas gifts. Those old singers with a potted motor have a direct drive geartrain with no belt to slip. They can handle multiple layers of denim no problem. I’ve also used it to sew lightweight nylon hammock material with nice even stiches. Before I got the singer I actually bought my wife that same brother model. She used it to make a denim quilt a couple years ago, but the experience was a lot different. It has a lot less power than the old singers do. It couldn’t handle as many layers of fabric and needles would break more often on her. We still have both machines the only time she breaks out the brother is if she needs to take it somewhere, because it’s portable.