Please any input on Brother PQ1500S or Babylock Professional Quilter
 

I am considering buying either one of these machines. They are both made by brother. A lady in my quilt store was very happy with hers and even prefered it over the longarm quilter she has.
Just need some input from you pros and cons. Also if anyone doesn't like theirs what alternative would you choose.

Thanks
M.

I have the PQ1500S and love it. I use it every day. I piece on it. I sew clothes on it. I quilt on it.

Of course, with any machine question, you will get dozens of suggestions for other machines. Remember to look at what you plan to do with it and your budget and do the best you can to meet your own needs.

I have a Brother that I bought as a back up machine and I turn to it more and more. I have made three quilts on it and loved the way they turned out. I think they are very good machines and I am going to buy a one that will do more soon.

The Brother PQ1500 has the pin on the bottom that helps feed the pieces thru..."pin feeding"... I love it! This machine is fantastic for piecing. Simple, straight piecing. No fancy stitches; if piecing is your game, this is a great machine.

I've had two BL Quilt Pro's (now currently known as Jane). GREAT machine. the BL comes with more attachments than the brother for the $. If you don't care about the attachments, it's the same machine. Love mine

Love love love my 1500. Have had it for about 10 years.

Ditto, ditto, and ditto. Out of the 7 machines I own, it is my favorite.

I have the PQ1500S machine. The only thing I don't like about it is you cannot see the bobbin underneath to know when it is about to run out of thread. I bought it about a year ago and haven't used it very much yet. It is a heavy and sturdy machine that does stitch fast!! I bought it for quilting only. I still prefer my "every day" other Brother machine for all of my sewing needs.

I also have one. It's a workhorse. My only 2 complaints are the bobbin can be tricky to get at and positioned correctly and the quilting foot that comes with the machine has a plastic piece that's difficult to see through. Make sure you check the pricing on Allbrands.com. They have super fast shipping and great pricing.

I mostly piece with my Brother, but use my Pfaff also. When I go from one to the other, it's a real difference! And I love both. The Brother is definitely an industrial type machine. It's a lot louder (bigger stronger heavy duty). But you just know that it will keep working no matter what you do. Also, accessory feet are limited. i just ordered a Juki quilt foot for mine. There's a great Yahoo group for this machine.

I really like my Brother machine. It has been a workhorse for me. I have quilted about 10 quilts on it and no problems. and for the price difference, I could not justivy spending more.

I also LOVE my Brothers 1500. I piecing, FMQ, everday sewing on it. The 9" throat on it makes FMQ easier but it is still hard depending on the size of your quilt. What I really like about it is that you are able to raise the presser foot tension so often I do not use my walking foot since I raise the tension. This machine is straight stitch only so if you want to do fancy stitches then you will need another machine. Go to your LQS and test drive the machines and see if you like the way it drives. I bought mine from Amazon for $600 with free shipping and no tax. Amazon is an authorized dealer so warrenty is covered. Only you can decide what you want from your machine.

I really love my Brother PQ1500S for FMQ. I have it set down into a table so I have plenty of workspace. I've never had a birdsnest that folks complain about on other machines, and it's just a nice simple mechanical machine. I still tend to piece on my Janome HT2008, but that is just habit and the fact I don't have to diddle with tension on the Brother to change between the two. My only gripe (and it's a small one) is the walking foot for the Brother does not have a quilting guide (arm?) on it, so I have to mark the quilt if I'm doing straight lines. Due to the pin feed, other brands won't work on it. But for a good basic workhorse that will give you no problems, I can highly recommend the PQ1500S.

I have had my Brother PQ1500 for several years, and I love it. It sews fast, has a perfect stitch, needle down, has a 9"throat, and overall is just a great machine. I oil and clean it often, and it never let's me down. I have other machines, but this is the one I use every day for piecing, quilting, and garment construction. I agree that the only dislike is that it doesn't have the bar on the walking foot. It is a straight stitch only machine, but that is what I mostly use.

I have my Brother PQ1500S on a Gracie King frame and have used it to quilt a queen and two twin size quilts. I have another on the frame now. I love the machine. It is simple, non computerized and just runs! Oiling it is very easy. Considering having mine stretched to 18 inches.

I bought all of my Brother machines from www.allbrands.com They have good prices and FREE and FAST delivery.

Thanks for your input. What do you mean having yours stretched to 18 inches. Is there a Brother available that is 18 inches?

There is a company that will operate on certain machines and stretch them.

http://www.wowquilts.com/

Peckish is right, Wow quilts will operate on certain machines including the Brother PQ1500S to increase it to an 18 inch throat. It would be wonderful if Brother would make the PQ1500S in an 18 inch machine with no other changes. I would buy it in a minute.

I have to say I'd like it to be a little taller in the throat, also....

Thanks Peckish. I learned something new that is interesting!!!

I have just purchased a Brother 1500 and I love it. I use it for quilting only. I seem to be the only one that likes the quilting foot but I simply love it. Whichever machine you choose, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine.

Bought my Brother at Kens Sewing 599.00 free shipping and lots of attachments. They have a free lay away too..