I prefer the Juki hands down. If I could get another one today, I would. But I don't know that I can articulate *why* I so much prefer it to the Brother. They're very, very, very similiar machines, but you get a few extra features with the Juki. Extras on the Juki: speed control, the cutter in the foot pedal if that's still on the newer machine (which I never used but other people seem to like), a more functional up/down button (you can't use the button to move the needle up/down on the Brother.. if it's engaged, the needle will always end in the down position, but pushing it again won't raise or lower the needle like it does on the Juki).
I had fewer tension issues with the Juki and it didn't skip stitches as often (which is mostly my fault, since I'm not a really steady quilter - it doesn't do it when I'm sewing seams, just for FMQ - but still, the Juki seemed better equipped to deal with my jerky hand motions and inability to maintain a steady speed). They both are about as good as the other with sewing through heavy fabrics or layers of fabrics. There's less oiling required with the Brother.
If your friend sews with delicate fabrics, the Brother does have a pin feed function, which I've never used, but if I understand it correctly, it helps feed through gauzy, lightweight fabrics somehow. I dunno, really :D
I think their feet are pretty similar... neither has a really great 1/4" foot (slightly off the 1/4) and they've both got clunky walking feet.
I don't know. It's tough to say. If you're paying a little extra for the Juki, you'd have to ask if the extras are worth it.. I've never had the speed control, but I think for FMQ, it might be worth some money to me. The rest of it, truly, I could take or leave... But I'd still want the Juki, if there were a dealer nearby. (So really for me it just comes down to that gut feeling.)
She's a quilter, too, and as far as I know, she doesn't sew anything else. Even though she's sewn for years, she's just now getting into quilting on her home machine. I might suggest she try my Juki to give her an idea. She has a Pfaff Passport and she feels kind of lukewarm about it. Some of the buttons are in weird places and it's causing some issues when she quilts. It was kind of an impulse buy when her old machine started having a mechanical problem. She's trying to put more research into her choice this time.
For me, I LOVE the Juki speed control, the up/down feature, and the foot control cut function. I'm saving up for mid-arm so I can piece on my Juki again. It's a pain to take on and off of my frame, so I've been piecing & binding on a little Janome. It's a fine machine for what it is, but it's SLOOOOW and not as substantial as sewing on the Juki.
Thanks for your feedback, I really do appreciate it and I think it will help. :)
There's definitely nothing better than just trying something to see how it feels!
I'd recommend the Juki to anyone, though. At least anyone who wants it for quilting/piecing and doesn't care too much about not being able to zig-zag :D
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I had fewer tension issues with the Juki and it didn't skip stitches as often (which is mostly my fault, since I'm not a really steady quilter - it doesn't do it when I'm sewing seams, just for FMQ - but still, the Juki seemed better equipped to deal with my jerky hand motions and inability to maintain a steady speed). They both are about as good as the other with sewing through heavy fabrics or layers of fabrics. There's less oiling required with the Brother.
If your friend sews with delicate fabrics, the Brother does have a pin feed function, which I've never used, but if I understand it correctly, it helps feed through gauzy, lightweight fabrics somehow. I dunno, really :D
I think their feet are pretty similar... neither has a really great 1/4" foot (slightly off the 1/4) and they've both got clunky walking feet.
I don't know. It's tough to say. If you're paying a little extra for the Juki, you'd have to ask if the extras are worth it.. I've never had the speed control, but I think for FMQ, it might be worth some money to me. The rest of it, truly, I could take or leave... But I'd still want the Juki, if there were a dealer nearby. (So really for me it just comes down to that gut feeling.)
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For me, I LOVE the Juki speed control, the up/down feature, and the foot control cut function. I'm saving up for mid-arm so I can piece on my Juki again. It's a pain to take on and off of my frame, so I've been piecing & binding on a little Janome. It's a fine machine for what it is, but it's SLOOOOW and not as substantial as sewing on the Juki.
Thanks for your feedback, I really do appreciate it and I think it will help. :)
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I'd recommend the Juki to anyone, though. At least anyone who wants it for quilting/piecing and doesn't care too much about not being able to zig-zag :D
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