My foot pedal starting acting up a couple of years ago so I just unplugged it & started using the start/stop button and have been using it since then. I really like using it. I did find that I had to slow down my speed when using it & that is fine with me. After getting used to the button, you don't have to hover over it all the time. I also found that if I just barely tap the button one time the needle will make one stitch so it's easy to position the needle where I want it when I stop. I'm so used to it now that I don't even have to look to find the button when I need to start/stop.