The machine that I use for piecing has factory set default stitch lengths ... The straight stitch in both regular sewing mode and in the quilt mode is 2.2, which is good for me. Another mode called "patchwork" is 1.8 ... way too short for my taste. Of course, they are all adjustable, but I don't use the patchwork option anyway. The 2.2 length is short enough to be sewn well, but long enough to be fairly easily removed with the seam ripper.
I've never liked Fray Chek; I either get too much or not enough on and it feels crispy. I use my serger when necessary.
Eleanor Burns has a 5-thread serger on her old shows and it does both the seam and the edge finishing simultaneously, so that's what she used to do patchwork on those shows. It works really well. My serger is 3/4 thread and does edging, but no seams.