Brother PQ1600S High-Speed Straight Stitch Sewing & Quilting Machine, White

So first of all, this is NOT a beginner machine.It’s a midarm semi industrial machine. It goes straight and back. That’s all. There is no slow button. And if you don’t know how to control your speed with a pedal, don’t order this sucker.I’m a professional quilter.I was looking for a fast, heavy machine. I didn’t want bells or whistles and I didn’t want to spend a fortune.The warranty was on par with other machines in this category and the price was just a bit less than the other machines I looked at. And then I realized all the other machines on my short list were really this machine at heart.I read a bunch of reviews and there are some that I really second guessed myself after I had ordered this machine.But here’s the thing, those reviews were dead wrong.The machine does not unthread itself when I use the cut button. It hasn’t done it even once.It’s not breaking thread (unless I’m a dummy and use the wrong thread).It’s not breaking needles (unless the walking foot isn’t tightened).This machine is amazing! I love everything about it.I’m 9 quilts deep in 5 days since it was delivered.It’s got plenty of throat space for a queen and I could totally do a king just fine with it.Pedal is doing fine with speed control.It’s very large. The extension table is sturdy. All the controls are very easy to control. I love the back stitch toggle. And the knee lift is great, and works fine on the mid century sewing table I’m using that came with my 1954 319w.In all, it is just what I wanted. So go ahead and check on out! You’ll be so happy.PS: the sticker is from Heather Gauthier Art. I try to put an artist on spotlight when I take a photo of my quilts. Check her out!

The GoodThis machine is the home version of an industrial Juki in function. It even threads almost exactly like a Juki. I use industrial Jukis at school, and I wanted something similar for home, but without the mandatory table and vat of oil. I also wanted to be able to transport it for repairs when necessary. This machine suits my need for speed and a knee presser foot lifter. Machine uses industrial needles and bobbin. That means I already have accessories, because I have them for school.The Slightly AnnoyingThe caveat with the bobbin is that while it takes regular industrial bobbins, it needs the one it comes with, with the slot, to wind properly. If you use a sidewinder for bobbins, this won't be an issue. This machine is substantially heavier than a regular home machine, most of the body is metal. I looked inside and some of the gears are metal, some are plastic, so I don't know how this will work out over the long run.The really annoyingI despise the thread cutter. I'm hoping there's a way to disable it, even if I have to take it to a sewing machine repair place to do so. It cuts to close, meaning there isn't a tail left behind so you have to rethread the top thread and the bobbin. Also the thread cutter comes on when you are changing stitch length within the same scene, such as when you are doing a basting stitch for a zipper and then you change to a smaller stitch for the rest of the scene. This is a time I do not want the thread cut. I don't want to be interrupted have to rethread the machine then resume sewing.Still, this is a great machine, less fussy than an industrial, and cheaper than a similar model Juki quilting machine.

This was my first sewing machine, and I’ve had it for a little over a year now. I’d say that it works for beginners, but I want to emphasize that this kind of machine does one thing, but does it well: straight stitch. This machine won’t do zig zag stitches or any of the other fancy ones, but it sews quickly and the stitches are neat. Do not buy this machine if you want more stitch options! Do buy this machine if you want a high powered quilting machine with a good throat space.What You Get: The machine comes with several feet that you can put on easily. The free motion quilting foot, walking foot, and 1/4” foot are the three you’ll likely use the most if you’re quilting. My 1/4” foot is actually a 1/4”, so it’s a nice tool to have for seam allowance. There are a few others that I haven’t used as much, but you are getting a pretty wide variety! And theoretically, any high shank foot will work with this machine. You get a metal bobbin, some cleaning tools, a few needles, and a screwdriver set as well. There’s an extension table that helps quite a bit with the weight of the quilt.Pros: This machine has held up very well since I got it last December (12/2019). I’ve taken it to get serviced and haven’t had many problems. I’ve quilted twin sized quilts on my PQ1500SL, and I’d say it could sew a queen sized as well. My caution with quilting king and queen quilts is that the amount of fabric would be a pain to manage, although I’d say it’s doable!Once you get the hang of threading it, the machine is very straight forward to manage. It has a lever to the right for the back stitch function, and you can adjust need height, tension, and stitch length. If there’s an issue with the machine, I’d suggest rethreading it to see if that fixes it. It’s worked most of the time for me!The machine holds the fabric pretty still when you’re sewing. I’ve swapped back and forth between this and a more entry level machine that I got for the stitches, and I’m amazed at how well the Brother grips the fabric.Finally, the price for this is amazing. Look for any other straight stitch machine, and they’ll like be over 1000. The exception being the Juki, but I’m unfamiliar with that machine. The Brother really is a good deal for the amount of power you’re getting in this machine.Cons:You can’t see the bobbin and don’t get told when you’re running short. This is a huge pain if you’re mid quilting.Thread cutter cutting short. I’ve seen this in a lot of reviews- this is a pain. I’ve found that raising the foot tends to eliminate this problem; I’ll just tug the thread to get it to a longer length. If you’re not watching it though, you’re going to have to rethread the machine.Automatic threader- I have never used this. I tried following the pictures and I have no idea what’s going on over there. Hand threading is easy, so no worries.Hope this little novel helps!