momto5

I have tried it both ways...and I much prefer using the FilTec magnetic bobbins to winding my own. They just seem to work better for me in my Gammill...no tension problems like I have had with the others. So, as long as they continue to behave, I'll use them. And I use Glide on top, and I love it!

BellaBoo

I have a sit down quilting machine. I use Glide magna pre wound bobbins. I've tried many others and wound my own but I won't change now that I've found Glide. I use a Bobbin Genie too.

cindi

I use prewounds. Connecting Threads has great deals on them. Plus, I just bought a whole bunch of Superior and Glide prewounds to try while I was at the Houston show. I usually use muslin backings on my quilts, or neutral colors for quilting, so I get bunches of neutrals (white, off-white, light grey). They do me just fine. My Voyager likes to have the cardboard sides removed. If you use prewounds, make sure to find out whether your machine likes the cardboard or not

QuiltNama

I do both, but really love the prewound bobbins on my HQ. I buy them on sale in large lots and find them to be about the same cost as buying 60 wt thread and winding my own.

dunster

I wind my own. The bobbin winder supplied with my Innova does a great job, and that way I can either match the threads top and bottom or use different ones. I know a lot of people love the pre-wound ones, but I don't see how I would profit from using them.

feline fanatic

I wound my own, until I discovered Magna-glides. I too had a bobbin winder come with my longarm machine and while it did a good job it really can't compare to the Magna-glides. They seem to hold more thread and I just love the convenience of them. Tension has never really been an issue for me on my machine. If I did have bobbin tension issues it was usually because of user error (like lint in the bobbin case spring). But that said, I have never had backlash or a tension issue with magn-glide bobbins. Once I tried them I haven't looked back. I will pay for the convenience. I will still occasionally wind my own if I only need a small amount of a specific thread or color but 90% of what I do is magna-glide prewounds. BTW magna glides are marketed more to prevent backlash than tension issues. If you have an anti back lash spring in your bobbin case you have to remove it before using them. Again, never had a problem with backlash before using them either. For me it is pretty much all about convenience.

Jcbdsew

Thank you everyone for letting me know about the prewound bobbins..I do have the commerical bobbin winder that came with the machine and I have been testing the threads that I have fining out that some spools are fatter than other and need some control on the thread to make a tight bobbin. I just purchased a Tin Lizzie Ram just the right size for me and my projects. I have a lot of embroidery thread and I plan on making good use of it with both the long arm and the embroider machines i have. Thanks again very one for your help..I am going to need all I can get as I am very new to the long arm.