Babylock Symphony sewing machine & Pfaff quilt expression 4.0
02-12-2011, 06:18 PM
#11
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Posts: 13,214
Originally Posted by Becky Brawley
Does your friend who has the Expression 4.0 free motion quilt on it. I have one and bought it for free motion quilting and it is awful. The thread breaks constantly. I can't even free motion quilt one block without the thread breaking at least 8 times. It shreds the thread. I have tried every kind of thread you can imagine. I have had the dealer look at it several times and he did put about 6 factory fixes on the machine. Still no good. I am so disappointed with this machine but am stuck. I wanted the longer throat and scissor cutter that's why I bought it. It works well for piecing but not free motion quilting.
02-12-2011, 06:44 PM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota
Posts: 364
Hi,
I have the Symphony and absolutely love it.....also have an Elegante 2 that embroiders, they're very similar machines except for the embroidery.
I have no problems with either of my machines and they are easy to operate and do everything and anything I'd want a machine to do.
Bev
I have the Symphony and absolutely love it.....also have an Elegante 2 that embroiders, they're very similar machines except for the embroidery.
I have no problems with either of my machines and they are easy to operate and do everything and anything I'd want a machine to do.
Bev
03-29-2011, 05:27 PM
#14
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 2
I just bought the Symphony on the recommendation of the store owners. They felt that I'd be happier with it over the Pfaff Ex 4.0. I'm having a hard time with the display screen changing when anything barely touches it. I've learned how to lock it and now I'm doing that, which helps but is kind of a pain when you are applique stitching. I had a needle bust this morning since it went from straight stitch to zigzag when I just passed some material through the throat area. Also, I'm having the same issue on the sewing speed. The slide keeps moving to a slow speed. It seems so odd that it moves that easy. Also, I had the sensor foot button set to on to piece my borders on my quilt top and I had a hard time keeping the top fabric where it should be. The sewing shop owner said to piece with it off and it should help. I thought the foot sensor was the great thing about it. I'm pretty frustrated and I'm hoping I didn't make a big mistake getting a Symphony. I've sewn for years on my old Bernina 930 and haven't had issues like this.
04-10-2011, 08:55 AM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Southern California
Posts: 6,254
Originally Posted by MadQuilter
I have the Babylock Espire (which is now marketed as the Symphonie) and LOVELOVELOVE my machine. Just to set the stage for you, I jumped from Pfaff to Babylock because Pfaff Quality (both in machines and customer service has gone downhill) Now if a sewer has never owned a Pfaff, they may not notice, but as a Pfaff-girl, I NOTICED!
The only thing I miss from the Pfaff is the IDT BUT it is no big deal to exchange the walking foot for the Babylock.
What I like about the Baby: Good light, motor speed select, good throat size, good sewing space (with or without the extension table), needle up/down and sideways adjustment, good quality on fancy stitches, not touchy which threads she uses, even bobbin wind, large bobbin, ease of using decorative bobbin threads, automatic foot lift (can be set), freemotion 2 thumbs up, and she does NOT pull the beginning fabric down the feed dogs.
I won't get another Pfaff - not that they are bad, I just like the Baby better.
OH- and you can set the stitch to sew at a 45 degree angle. Not sure when I will need that but it is THE coolest feature. lol
The only thing I miss from the Pfaff is the IDT BUT it is no big deal to exchange the walking foot for the Babylock.
What I like about the Baby: Good light, motor speed select, good throat size, good sewing space (with or without the extension table), needle up/down and sideways adjustment, good quality on fancy stitches, not touchy which threads she uses, even bobbin wind, large bobbin, ease of using decorative bobbin threads, automatic foot lift (can be set), freemotion 2 thumbs up, and she does NOT pull the beginning fabric down the feed dogs.
I won't get another Pfaff - not that they are bad, I just like the Baby better.
OH- and you can set the stitch to sew at a 45 degree angle. Not sure when I will need that but it is THE coolest feature. lol
04-10-2011, 02:56 PM
#16
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 2
Yes, the Babylock Symphony has some really cool things that I do like about it. I wanted to give an update to the last posting. Locking the screen has helped the most. I went to the wonderful sewing store owners who sat with me for 2 hours going through everything they could think of to show me and help me with in learning the machine. It seems that the foot may be the cause of the fabric moving so much when I sew. They increased the pressure of the presser foot. Also, we used the quilting foot with the guide. The straight stitch foot also helped to keep things from moving and creating crooked seams. The thread cutter is only cutting about half the time now on the top thread. I'm still hoping that this machine isn't a problem one (lemon). I do have to say that it will sew through multiple layers without any trouble. It is like a billy goat, handling any kind of terrain.
Rippin Renee
Rippin Renee
06-16-2011, 04:48 PM
#17
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 4
I now am on #2 Baby Lock Symphony sewing machine.
#1 When using the decorative stitches to quilt I became very unhappy. They would skip stitches (you could see the holes where the needle went in but the thread did not) . This made the workmanship very poor and I would have thrown it away but it was my "10-10" quilt. Made from clothes that I wore for 10-20 years as I gained and lost 10-20 pounds.
I mentioned it and the shop said that the auto sensor was not turned on.
A couple of months later I tried again. Again I would have thrown the results away ... the stitching was soooo bad. Skipped stitches, uneven stitches, tension wadding, breaking needles.
The owner promised me that he would make me happy and after two 8 hour days sewing at the shop he replaced it with his demo.
At first it looked good but alass this did not last.
All of the above happened again. Plus the "bobbin amost empy" warning did not show up and the machine continued to run.
When the thread broke the machine just kept on running.
When the needle breaks the machine does not even slow down.
I am going in tomorrow and see what happens. I can not sew with this machine. It does not always do it and I can not find a pattern to the madness. I bought it to quilt the many quilt tops that I have and I would not even try it now. Two "Trouble" quilts are enough.
If I have to use a straight stitch I can use my 30 year old Brothers machine, so far it sews great!
#1 When using the decorative stitches to quilt I became very unhappy. They would skip stitches (you could see the holes where the needle went in but the thread did not) . This made the workmanship very poor and I would have thrown it away but it was my "10-10" quilt. Made from clothes that I wore for 10-20 years as I gained and lost 10-20 pounds.
I mentioned it and the shop said that the auto sensor was not turned on.
A couple of months later I tried again. Again I would have thrown the results away ... the stitching was soooo bad. Skipped stitches, uneven stitches, tension wadding, breaking needles.
The owner promised me that he would make me happy and after two 8 hour days sewing at the shop he replaced it with his demo.
At first it looked good but alass this did not last.
All of the above happened again. Plus the "bobbin amost empy" warning did not show up and the machine continued to run.
When the thread broke the machine just kept on running.
When the needle breaks the machine does not even slow down.
I am going in tomorrow and see what happens. I can not sew with this machine. It does not always do it and I can not find a pattern to the madness. I bought it to quilt the many quilt tops that I have and I would not even try it now. Two "Trouble" quilts are enough.
If I have to use a straight stitch I can use my 30 year old Brothers machine, so far it sews great!
06-16-2011, 04:59 PM
#18
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 4
I wish I had gotten your machine as your discription sound heaverly.
(What I like about the Baby: Good light, motor speed select, good throat size, good sewing space (with or without the extension table), needle up/down and sideways adjustment, good quality on fancy stitches, not touchy which threads she uses, even bobbin wind, large bobbin, ease of using decorative bobbin threads, automatic foot lift (can be set), freemotion 2 thumbs up, and she does NOT pull the beginning fabric down the feed dogs. ) This does not describe my machines in any way!!
Wish Wish
(What I like about the Baby: Good light, motor speed select, good throat size, good sewing space (with or without the extension table), needle up/down and sideways adjustment, good quality on fancy stitches, not touchy which threads she uses, even bobbin wind, large bobbin, ease of using decorative bobbin threads, automatic foot lift (can be set), freemotion 2 thumbs up, and she does NOT pull the beginning fabric down the feed dogs. ) This does not describe my machines in any way!!
Wish Wish
06-16-2011, 05:18 PM
#19
Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: currently near Eugene. Oregon
Posts: 93
I just recently bought a Symphony and so far (only had it 2 weeks) I have been happy with it. I have already peiced 2 tops with it and it has been performing well. On my older Kenmore I found I liked using the walking foot for most everything, including piecing. So far I haven't used the walking foot for piecing, but think maybe I will in the future. Haven't yet tried FMQ on it. Have not found any glitches re the screen or speed control.
06-17-2011, 12:02 AM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 935
I've had my Pfaff QE 4.0 for seven months now, and just love it. It does everything I ask of it and then some. Just this week I hemmed a pair of jeans for my father and it went through all those layers of denim like it was sewing through two pieces of quilting cotton. FMQing isn't a problem. There were problems w/ earlier versions of this machine, but those have been corrected. My only complaint is the markings on top meant to help with thread direction for threading --- they are the same color as the body of the machine and are very difficult to see. Other than than, I am pleased as punch.
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