Machine & Table Opinions Needed
 

Hi, I'm Lisa and this is my first post on these boards but I've read a Lot and done a lot of searching for specific info. I've only been sewing and quilting for a few months but I'm quite addicted and want to invest in my equipment and my space. I have made 3 (plus one in progress) baby/crib size and one throw size quilt as well as several other small projects. All of these have been pieced and straight line quilted on my Brother CS6000i, which actually does a decent job of it, but the throat space is way too small to manage anything larger. So now I am in the market for a machine that can handle larger projects and that I can hopefully also learn FMQ on eventually. I am also turning half of a bedroom into my sewing space (other half reserved for grandchildren visits and sleepovers) and would like to be able to have both machines "ready to go" at the same time, likely one more for piecing and small projects, one for mostly quilting.My questions are:
1. I'm looking at Juki TL2010q vs. Brother PQ1500SL - is the speed control and other differences really worth the price difference of $460? Is the foot thread cutter on the Juki hard to manage?
2. Are there other machines I should consider that would give me comparable features at a better value?
3. I'm looking at SewEzi tables, possibly the portable for my small CS6000i and the grande for whichever "quilting" machine I get. I think these would work great in my space, and I have height adjustable folding tables I can use as extended surface area when actually quilting anything large. Are they worth the cost? Are they sturdy and also good ergonomically for these machines?

I apologize for all the questions, but it's so hard to know what to decide on first to move forward. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

HI & Welcome!

You are asking great questions. Here is how I look at those price difference dilemmas in life. Consider how long you will have and enjoy the machine. Price it out by price per day. It is usually pennies so get the one that will use over cutting cost corners.

I invested in the machine with added features so I could grow into them. My machines are used every day. I love having the speed control buttons on the Crescendo and Brother Dream. I will always want to have a thread cutter and needle threader on my machines.

Re Question # 3. Do you have any thrift stores in the area? Look for a sturdy table that can be used or modified to your needs.

Good luck on your decisions!

Welcome from western NY and happy quilting :)
I have a Juki 2010Q and just love it for FMQ and ruler work. I have a different Juki for piecing, but if I didn't, I'd do it all on the 2010.

I also have the Juki TL2010Q- it's a fantastic machine for quilting and piecing. I recommend it highly. The foot pedal is fine. You just have to get used to it. :) My only problem with the Juki is I can't get the threader to work. I've tried and tried and it's just not a good one. I have one on my Bernina that works perfectly. So I thread it the old-fashioned way.
Good luck in whatever you choose and welcome to the board! This is a great forum.

I have a Janome Magnolia 7330 and it does a great job quilting. I don't recall what the throat space is though

Welcome to the board.
Either The Juki 2010 or the Brother PQ1500s would be great for what you want. I have the Brother PQ1500s and haven't missed the speed control- but, I learned to Free Motion Quilt back in the Upper Neolithic before there were speed controllers on domestic machines, so I am used to controlling speed using the foot pedal alone. If you've never FMQ then it might be easier to learn with a machine like the Juki where you can limit the speed with a slider so that you can concentrate on what your hands are doing. Don't know if that would make it worth the extra money over the cost of the Brother. Both the Juki and the Brother have the same threader and it is definitely more finicky than the threaders that Brother puts on their other domestic machines- so if you would prefer the speed controller, then don't let the fiddlyness of the Juki threader put you off.

Have you tried FMQ on your CS6000i? I know of several folks who have done beautiful free motion quilting and free motion embroidery on them. You might want to try some FMQ on that to get a feel for whether or not the speed control is something you want or could do with out. You can get a feel for FMQ by buying some of those cheap packages of felt from your local craft shop (Michaels or JCMoore): Layer two sheets together (no batting needed) and pin in a couple of places, then try doing some basic loops, curves, lines, etc. to get a feel for machine speed and hand speed.


Rob

You all sure know how to welcome a newbie and help me out. Thank you so much, I truly value your input! I have tried FMQ on my CS6000i for about 5 minutes, lol. It's something I want to learn but just haven't had the time to devote to it yet. I'm leaning toward the Juki but love learning all I can about both before making a final decision. Keep the opinions coming!

I was totally in love with my Juki2010 until the electronics went out after two years of use. I figured out how to disable them so I could continue to use it. I also didn't have local support and got quoted over $400 to ship it to Juki and maybe have it fixed (they weren't sure). I've heard from others that their local dealer fixed the same problem for about $100. Shows that local support can be a big plus.


I finally got tired of it, and bought a Juki8700 with no electronics and I love that machine, but have no idea if one could FMQ on it. I have an LA so didn't need that. The 2010 is now mostly a bobbin winder since that is a real pain on the Juki8700. Knowing what I know now, I'd have opted for the 8700 to start with (is cheaper too), but again, I don't have a need for FMQ so did not consider that.

I never had trouble with the Juki threader, it took a few tries to get the hang of it, and you do need to have the thread in the right spot or it won't work. I do miss having a needle threader a bit, don't miss the speed control one bit as I have very good control with the Servo motor on the 8700 ( I have it turned way down) and don't miss the needle down or the thread cutter.

Here is a link to some videos on threading the 2010Q... i'm not sure which one clicked with me, but one of them turned the light bulb on
https://www.youtube.com/user/elbertd.../0/oiMNQr15e5s

Welcome to this board.

I have a different Juki it is straight stitch only, it has a 9" throat, I can FMQ a large double quilt. It is a real workhorse just requires oiling and cleaning.