I was at a craft/sewing/quilt fair today and stopped at the Koala Studios booth. I fell in love with the SewMate Plus IV with the OutBack Leaf Extension setup. My sewing space is in our diningroom on the diningroom table (an oval table not the best for larger projects). The SewMate configuration will fit perfectly in the space (I don't even have to remove any other furniture pieces from the room) and can double as a dining table if needed (we don't have a lot of occasions to actually have a formal dining experience at our house) even if it's a bit awkward for sitting. What's the general opinion about the Koala Studios cabinets? Quality? Bang for the buck?
TIA for input!

I have this Koala Cabinet and I love it! It is such a solid piece of furniture...no bouncing when sewing. No moving around as there are locks on the wheels. It is so easy to open and close. The drawers are very handy for keeping my tools at my fingertips.

Mine has the remote controlled electric platform that lowers or raises the machine into and out of the cabinet. I bought a floor model from a shop (that needed to get it out of their showroom) so it had the extra feature, but I would not spend extra money for it. It is the most expensive piece of furniture in my house!

I have the Koala in my dining room too. The extension table is so useful when quilting, especially when I pull my dining table up on my left side...I do not have to bear the weight of the quilt at all!

I have admired them from afar-alas, too expensive for my budget! Would give anything (almost) for one!

Thank you for the input. I was really impressed by the quality of the floor models at the fair. This one has the remote controlled platform also - one of the big selling points for me as my current setup has the machine sitting on top of the table rather than flush with the table. The craft fair promotion offers free delivery and setup, a free chair, and a discount on the base piece. The free delivery and setup is really worth it IMO. Since we don't use the diningroom table for dining very often, it seems to be just the ticket for my quilting/sewing obsession. I figure it'll be my birthday/Christmas/anniversary gift for several years to come!

Before you jump on that one, check out www.kenssewingcenter.com. They have a brand of furniture with their name but I believe it is made by either Horn or Koala. They have the auto-lift table as well. You might save some money and they are about as honest as anyone could wish for.

You cannot compare the Horn to the Koala cabinets. IMHO The Koala is King. The horn has sharp corners whereas the Koala has rounded ones the quality and craftmanship is far above the Horn cabinet. I have both.

I have both Horn and Koala cabinets and love both. It's true about the sharper corners on the older Horn, but that's it. Both super quality IMO

I have 2 Koala's the Plus IV upstairs and an older one down. They are the best.

love my Koala cabinet.

I ha e both. By far the Koala is far superior.

I love my Koala cabinet! It's just as good as the day I bought it in the late 90's. They don't make my model anymore. One thing I don't like is that they don't support making new cutouts for older models.

I have 2 Koalas and they're awesome. You won't be disappointed.

Sounds like Koala is pretty high on everyone's list. Thank you everyone for your input! I'm going with the SewMate Plus and will finalize the order this week. I'm so excited!

Juat to give you an example....When the shop where I worked was closing all the cabinets were also being sold. I purchased one of them at a greatly reduced price. while rolling the cabinet on the concrete driveway one of the casters broke and needed to be replaced. I had to get a Koala caster as they connect to the cabinet in a special way. I called the 800# and they graciously sent replacements at no charge!! 6 of them. I was totally surprised. They sell a quality product and stand behind it by having great customer service. Anne

I have the quilt mate IV and love it but so wish I had gone with the sewing mate. only because I don't really need the extra drawers (well I do but ...) I would have rather had the sewing machine on the far right corner than in the middle of the table. Especially when quilting a larger quilt.

Otherwise, I love the table. I can open up the draw left in the back and spray baste a baby size quilt without any problems.

I don't believe you'll go wrong with a Koala!

Hello dmyers!! I am with the Koala Studios & Suites wholesale division and came across your post. I am curious to your "new cutouts for older models" Are you looking for an insert for a Sewing Machine or Serger? If you are, these are still available for the Koala cabinets that were made in Australia. You local Sewing Machine dealer can order that for you or you can also go to sewsteady.com and order one directly from them. (They are the manufacturer) All you would need is the make and model of the sewing machine and the make & model of the cabinet or measurements of the opening on the cabinet. I hope this helps!! Thank you...Koala Studios & Suites made in the USA

I agree with Jill. I am STILL using my Singer sewing desk I received for graduating from HS in 1970. Fortunately, my Bernina sits perfectly in the opening.

I love my Koala furniture. I have several pieces and have been very pleased with all of them.

Love my Koala cabinet, I was lucky enough to inherit it from my mother. I never close it up as I have a room just for sewing, but when it is closed up it is a beautiful piece of furniture. So if it has to go in a room where you cannot leave it open it's great, and it can be locked to keep little fingers out. Love the extension table, which in my case is always up. I know they are expensive but I think they are well worth the money. And, there are so many models available.

I'm in the "love my Koala cabinet" club as well. It was really expensive, but I spend a lot of time sitting at that cabinet, so to me it is worth it. I have the QuiitPro Plus IV and just love it!

I was so fortunate to be able to get a used Koala from a lady who no longer was able to sew. It's the big one with all the extensions. It's an older model but still like new. Has the lift for the machine. The price I've seen on ads for this one is over 1200.00 and I got this one (thanks to my sweet daughter who bought it for me) for $450.00 I love it. It's so well made and solid so no bouncing when sewing. The only thing I had to buy was the insert for my Viking.