Has anyone purchased and used the tension gages for top and bobbin threads on a long arm quilter? I have been considering purchasing them and would like feedback.

I have the Towa gauge and thought I would use it-saw how a fellow LA quilter used it but have found that I do just as well by hand testing. Interested to see what others have to say.

i too purchased it and never used it. i do well just adjusting the tension on my own.

i ended up selling mine thru a yahoo group

I've gotten along so far without them, although I did buy one of the fishing guages for the top tension recently (haven't used it yet and just might return it to WalMart).

I have the TOWA and love it for checking my bobbin tension.

Of course I do have some disabilities so that I know doing it by hand wouldn't be as accurate.

ali

I have a TOWA and I use it all the time. I don't always use the same weight thread on my longarm and once I got the TOWA set at the reading that worked, I just adjust the bobbin tension to that setting and I'm good to go, no matter what thread I've got in the bobbin. I find that when my bobbin tension is set to what the guage says it should be, I rarely have to touch the top tension.
I had my longarm for a few years before I got the TOWA and got along OK, but for me the TOWA is a real "nice to have" notion.

Thanks for the feedback. I find that there is even a difference in tension needed going from a solid color thread to a varigated. I also use a variety of threads and would like to experiment even more. I seem to have to fiddle with it a lot doing it by hand. I will have to think on it some and decide. If I get one, I'll let you all know what I think of them.

The tension gauges allow the quilter to use all kinds of threads on their machines without going to the time to find the right tension the next time. Once you figure out the correct tension and notate it, you simply have to go to that tension range the next time.

Ricci

I only use the Towga for my Longarm.I have the smaller bobbin case...once the tension is set I really don't have to keep adjusting it.

The top tension on my machine is easy to adjust and I don't need the gauge to the top tension.