Top Tension Pro and TOWA tension guide???
 

I'm considering buying a Top Tension Pro and the TOWA bobbin tension guide.

Any pros or cons on either of them?

Superior Threads sells the pair for $153.00. Is that a good price?

I don't have the top tension, but don't think I could live without the TOWA bobbin tension for my longarm machine. It saved my life. Well, sanity... sort of...

have the towa bobbin tension and love it . My opinion is that if you have the bobbin tension correct it is fairly easy to correct the top tension.

I didn't know they made one for the top tension. But, I'm going to invest in the TOWA gage just for my sanity!! I have such trouble adjusting the tensions on my longarm. I'll probably look into the one for the top tention. Try e-bay before you by the set. I think I remember the TOWA was around 70.00 on e-bay.

I haven't had the need for either one so far (knocking on wood). I don't use a great variety of threads, but I've been able to adjust the tension so far without a gauge. I know that a lot of people feel the Towa gauge is a necessity. Fewer seem to be using the gauge for the top tension. Even with the gauges, there is no magic setting that will always work. I understand that with the Towa you can tell pretty quickly if your bobbin is poorly wound, but I've been able to discover that just by looking at it. I wind my own bobbins, and the bobbin winder I got with my Innova usually does a great job of it. I would say that if you're currently struggling with setting tension, the gauges might help (especially the Towa) but if you aren't having a problem, why spend the money?

I can echo what Dunster said. I have not found the need for it either. I am wondering if it is because we both quilt on Innova machines. Unlike Dunster, I have experimented with a wide variety of threads and have used different threads in top and bobbin. I have not seen the need to get any kind of tension gauge. I would much rather learn my machine inside and out then have to rely on a gadget to set my tension correctly. While I agree that the bobbin winder that came with the Innova is nice, I still prefer to use prewound magnaglide bobbins.

same as sewwhat, this has proven true for me.

I think that one difference may be a "visual" learner rather than a "tactile" learner. I could never get the top tension right by feeling how tight the thread should come thru the needle like my instructor could. My instructor would turn the tension dial but I could never tell whether she was turning it half-way, once around, twice? The Top Tension Pro gives me a visual number so that I can know what one spin of the dial relates to and what the setting should be when the stitching is perfect for that thread brand. Then I can keep a chart and set the tension dial for that brand right when I start out. I had a huge investment in my Nolting 24 Pro machine and was extremely frustrated with tension settings until I got both tensioners. I got the bobbin tension first - about a month after I got the machine. I tried for 4-months before getting the top tensioner. I am very happy now.

you make a good point! The bobbin gauge gave me confidence. I like checking myself.