I do use my industrial a lot for piecing quilts and it works great! My needle moves to the right so I get a good quarter inch seam.

The industrial machines I have used sew much to fast. Unless I'm sewing a quota of canvas/denim goods I don't think I need one. Usually the domestic industrial machines means it has metal gears and will have a high sewing speed. I have the Brother PS1500. It has large throat space and sews 1500 stitches a second. It's a great quilting table machine. Only sews straight stitch.

I have an industrial machine that I use for general sewing (most of which is just straight-stitching anyway) and I love it. If you sew professionally, an industrial machine is a MUST.

I've had mine since 1986, and it's been in for repairs exactly once. That was because I got the needle stuck in a project and messed up the timing. It's an ancient 1930's era Singer, does only straight stitch, only forwards, but I can oil and clean it myself and you can do the math to figure out how much that has saved me!

Anyone who's shopping for an industrial, you need to find a store that specializes in industrial machines, so that you have a knowledgeable technician that can work with you to configure the machine and table to your projects and your height too. The table and pedal can be adjusted to fit you. There are various motors to run the machines, some are faster, some are quieter. The needles, throat plate, feed dogs, all can be customized according to your needs.

I liked my first machine so much that I searched eBay to find another like it, and located one in Toronto ON (two hours across the border from where I am in the US). The person who sold it to me has a shop that deals pretty much ONLY in industrial machines, and he is a third-generation sewing machine mechanic. He configured the machine, taught me how to time it, and taught me a few new tricks on using it.

Mine goes a bit fast to get good control - I use mine to make tents.

I have the juki DDL 8700 and love it. I sew my quilt tops together and you can fmq on it by lowering the feed dogs, but I also purchased the extra motor for 99.00 extra so that I could slow the speed down. I purchased my on Ebay the seller is Sewing Gold out of Chicago IL. The price was right and he had free shipping. I have not check lately to see what his prices are now. I would not take any thing for my machine. Good Luck. Oh and if you fmq on it you will need the dial down motor to slow it down, and they sell all kinds of feet and attachments for it.

Jackie

seems like there is an adjustment near the motor to slow them down.