Longarm ?? Towa Gauge
 

For those that use a longarm do you have a different bobbin case dedicated to a specific thread, or do you use a Towa Gauge to adjust accordingly? With thread prices increasing I am going to use more poly thread but I also have a lot of KingTut I’d like to use up and wondering if you found your Towa helpful in making the adjustments to various threads.

I do have a Towa gauge, but I seldom use it. I don't use cotton thread (too much lint), but I use several weights of poly thread and don't often have to adjust the bobbin.

I have the gauge, but rarely use it. I trust the “lift off your hand” method much more than the Towa gauge.

Me three. I have a Towa gauge and rarely use it. The problem with it is you can't just set it and it magically works. You have to do a lot of testing and practicing, then writing down what thread you're using, what your tension settings are, the batting type/brand, etc. Then once you use that particular combo again, check your test results to see what tension setting you should use.
It's MUCH easier and faster to do what Cindi does - lift off your hand.

I got one after a long struggle with getting tension correct. I discovered I had several bobbins that caused erratic tension, and after tossing them I have much less problem. My machine likes the bobbin tension around 180-200, and then I fine tune things with the upper tension. I also got a digital readout for my upper tension. I don't switch threads around very often, but when I do, that is the first thing I set.

I believe that most of my tension problems at the start were due to the bad bobbins. They were a bit heavier and are what came with the machine, but when I bought more, they were a different style. It wasn't evident with the drop test that the tension fluctuated, but with the towa guage, no matter how carefully I pulled, I'd see the gauge bouncing. Because of that, I have no confidence I can set tension correctly by using the drop test so I don't try anymore.

Well, me 4. I don't even know if I still have that Towa gauge. I found some bobbins that were out of alignment and tossed them, played with top and bottom tension using the drop test, adjusted the tiny screw on the bobbin holder and now I have excellent tension on my Tin Lizzie. She loves Glide thread.

I use a Towa gauge for each and every bobbin, even those I have "batch wound". And I do some sample stitching on every newly-installed bobbin (off to the side of the quilt top - I use a scrap of fabric on top of the batting/backing excess).

I have an APQS and I bought a couple of extra bobbin cases for my longarm. I usually use So Fine in the bobbin and have one bobbin case adjusted for that. I have the other two adjusted for OMNI and for bottom line as I sometimes use them. I could adjust the bobbin tension when I change bobbin threads but it is just so much easier to switch the bobbin cases and usually then, I just have to adjust the top tension a bit. I do not have a Towa gauge and actually never saw the need for one.

Thank you all so much for your input!

I also have a Towa gauge but rarely use it. I use a method I watched online by a guy whose name has escaped me. He shows you how to feel the tension in your bobbin by lifting it up by the end thread. This has worked for me since I started using this method. Plus I have the upgraded tension whatever it's called on the machine so I rarely have to adjust the top tension.

When I had my machine given a "spa treatment" over a year ago, we were having such a time getting the tension to work so Jim tightened the top tension and the bobbin tension to match much tighter than I'd think normal but it's been working for me so I leave it that way

My Towa Gauge has been in the drawer for practically the whole time I've had it........10 years.