I have two types, I used them when I had just bought them but after a while I have ended up doing it by hand. I'm slightly nearsighted and I don't have much problems with threading as long as I have good light and maybe my contacts on. They work fine but I don't see them as essential unless you have trouble with your vision. I snap the end of the thread with scissors and it goes right though the needle hole with out fuzz, and I regularly use fine needles with smaller size hole as well as thicker needles.