I wouldn’t recommend a machine with a front-loading bobbin for beginners because a machine can be intimidating to use at first. withwendy explains it really well in this video.

The Singer Fashionmate 3342 is a good option for beginners with a top loading bobbin and a free arm and just $10 more than the MX60.

Some people will say that Singer may not be the best brand for longevity with their machines now compared to the fully metal manual machines from decades ago. I can’t attest to that because this was the reason why I was too scared to buy a Singer.

I use the Brother SM2700 which works well for me and does what I need it to do. It’s $125 on Amazon if you want to look at it.

You may be led to believe that the more stitches = the better, but you really just need a straight and zigzag stitch with adjustable lengths and widths and of course, a reverse stitch lever to go with that. A buttonhole stitch is good too, but some machines have it on one-step or 4-steps. Nearly every other stitch is either decorative or a variation of the straight/zigzag stitches.

Good luck!