You do not have to plug in a hand crank. You might need to mend a sail on a sail boat or fix a tent on the ground. You can sew on your back porch. I want one that will do embroidery some machines have an oddly placed boss or none at all - a HC will sew slow and I can control the speed closer. With the coal generated electric being shut down by the pres. you might want to save money on electric in the next few years.