The FW has only a .4 motor, so yes it's not speedy. But if a FW seems slower than it should the motor likely needs service. I have a Benina 830 but I mainly use that for embroidery and FMQing so the FW doesn't bug me. What bugs me about the FW is that the tensioner is right in my line of sight and kind of interferes with my view. I like the 301 and the slant shank better. The 301 doesn't have this issue and it has a faster and larger motor.