I love my Accuquilt Go! Minimal waste IF you cut your fabric correctly before running thru the machine. Regarding stiff turning crank - mine was stiff at first then got better then got worse. DUH! I needed to change the mat and it started working good again. I've had a serger from WalMart for over 13 years. Don't use it real often but when I need it - I NEED IT. Yes, they are hard to thread - I used colored paint to mark the threading path on mine. But best advise it to tie on new thread & pull thru path. One of these days I'm gonna buy the one that 'puffs' the thread through.