If I could give this 10 stars I would! Love love love this machine! So much so, I bought two! I bought one of these, then a week later I bought a second one and a Grace quilt frame to use one of them one. What is so great about this machine? It's substantial. It's heavy duty and a workhorse. There is no plastic, it weighs a lot if that is a concern for you. It has an all metal body and components. This machine goes fast if you want it to, it responds extremely quickly, you want it to speed up, or slow down it's like johnny on the spot. There is no wearing this machine out. I sew daily and put machines through their paces and this one is up to that challenge. It's pretty. All bright white, super clean looking. Visibility is fantastic. The head of the machine is tapered, look at the pic. That tapered head provides an unimpeded view of your project. This is great, because so many machines now have so many electronics the head of the machine is huge... which hides your project. Free Motion Quilting on this machine is easy due to this tapered head and visibility. PERFECT stitches, this machine does one this... straight stitch, but it does it perfectly. You can't mess this up, if you are doing free motion, it just does it perfectly. You know how so many machines will make long stitches, eyelash tension problems or break thread when trying to do FMQ, and it's so hard to get tension right? Well, not with this baby. Listen, I have done FMQ with this machine and it's MADE for this task. First, the knob on top of the head is to adjust the pressure foot pressure, which means that I can even FMQ using the regular piecing foot if I want to. (and I have). I have had no problems with tension or eyelashing.. this machine just makes FMQ simple. The thread holder, is fabulous, no tangles no trouble. And I just leave a spool on the second spindle set up for winding bobbins all the time, so I don't have to unthread the needle. It's quiet for a machine. The auto thread cutter is amazing! You rock your foot back, it cuts. Not only does it cut with a push of your foot, it leaves the tiniest tail! And it starts sewing perfectly every time. So, there is no trimming long tails, and no having to take the bobbin out to lengthen the thread to get it to start again like other machines can often do.. it catches the tails and starts again every time. I love that if I use the cutter button, I have a tiny quarter inch tail left. No trimming to do and it saves thread. I love that I can cut the thread with my FOOT! The knee lifter also means that you can cut and lift without ever taking your hands off the machine. You don't have to lift the pressure foot by hand, or push the cut button by hand. I just can't find anything "wrong" with this machine. The lighting could be better but it is not bad and it's WAY better than my Elna and Brother machines, so while more light would be great it's got more lighting than most machines. You DO have to oil this machine each time you use it. BUT in my world that is a plus, not a detriment. Why? Because it allows you to service your machine, know its lubricated properly. These self lubed machines eventually suffer problems and you can't do it yourself, you have to take the machine for service. I am shocked at the low price of this machine for the joy of using it. It's the best machine that I have ever owned and it's the cheapest. I have a 6,000.00 Elna, which does not hold a candle to this Juki, though the Elna of course does all the fancy stuff, zig zag, embroidery etc. But I despise actually sewing on the Elna because of the large head and poor lighting. How about the one on the Grace SR2 Frame... it's as great as it is on the sewing table. Just simple, just works, just no problems. If you are a quilter, and you want the PERFECT QUARTER INCH SEAM, this is the machine for that. If you are a quilter and you want simple, perfect, easy, reliable, joyful, sewing... this is the machine for that. This machine is a PARTNER, not a tool. It's truly a quilter's partner. I wish I had gotten one of theses years ago. You would have NEVER convinced me that a machine could improve my quilting after 20 years of experience, but this machine has made my quilts crisper and better. People think I am crazy, they say... but .. but.. it only does a straight stitch.. who wants just a straight stitch machine... then they use it and buy one.
