I have had several sergers over the years & the one I LOVE is my Babylock. They are usually pricier than the others but they thread themselves (the loopers anyway) with a shot of air that shoots the thread where it needs to be. The singers I had especially the 5 thread was a "nightmare" to thread & I had years of serger experience. They only work with a foot pedal but I'm sure someday someone will make one with a button to start/stop. For quilting they would do a perfect 1/4" seam & most of them move the knife out of the way when needed. For anyone who does a lot of sewing I think a serger is a must. They finish a garment off so nicely & makes it look so much more professional. If you get something other than a Babylock, there is also a technique where you tie your new thread to each spool of the ones already on your machine & gently pull the threads thru the guides & voila, your machine is threaded. It is important however, for you to learn to thread your machine yourself in case nothing else works. Hope this help