JUKITL-2010Q 1-Needle, Lockstitch, Portable Sewing Machine with Automatic Thread Trimmer for Quilting, Tailoring, Apparel and Home Decor

I have a small bag-making business and upgraded to this machine almost two years ago as my sewing is 99% straight stitch and speed/power are more important to me than lots of fancy stitch patterns. I absolutely adore this machine. Yes it’s a bit more complicated to thread, has a side-load bobbin, uses screw-on instead of snap-on feet, and needs frequent oiling, but for those trade-offs you get a fast, powerful, durable machine that’s built like a small tank and runs like butter. And it has the extra features that actually make my life significantly easier like auto needle up/down, a speed control setting, a pedal-operated thread cutter, and a knee lever to lift the foot. For anyone who does mostly straight-stitch sewing like serious quilters or bag makers, this is a great machine that can handle whatever you throw at it. There are only two cons: the needle threader is quite finicky (I finally have the hang of it but it took a while for me to figure out how to make it work consistently) and I don’t love the zipper foot that comes with the machine—I prefer the hinged narrow zipper foot you can purchase separately.

I've had my Juki TL-2010Q for a couple of weeks now. I'm a quilter with years of experience in the past with garment sewing (although I don't do that anymore). I have a Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 which has a surprising amount of features for the price I paid 4 years ago. I've had some problems with the electronics, but other than that, it's been a nice machine. But I wanted to upgrade, and one of the main reasons was, I don't have the budget to send my quilts out to be long-armed, and I've become pretty good at free-motion quilting. The Singer just doesn't have a lot of throat room, and I thought I could improve my overall experience with a better machine. After months of research, I decided that instead of upgrading my electronic machine, I wanted a straight-stitch, more industrial type machine to use for piecing and free-motion work, with the intention of keeping my Singer for when I need zig-zag or other fancier stitches. I do applique and other projects that require that. I finally decided on the Juki TL-2010Q, and it is everything I hoped it would be.PROS: It sews like butter, so smooth, and the stitches are the most even I've seen. It's very solid and comes with an enormous extension table (almost twice as big as what came on my Singer). I've had an opportunity to use all its features, and the free-motion quilting allows me to do the best work I've ever done, with so much control, and with the additional help of the very large throat to allow me to stuff a bulky quilt in there. The threading of the machine is not super simple like it is on my Singer; but once I got the hang of it, no problem. It winds the most even bobbins I've ever seen - they are perfect. And is this machine fast - because of that, the speed control's a real help. Needle up/down is great, so is the ability to cut the thread in 3 different places, the foot pedal, the button on the front of the machine, and the thread cutter in back of the needle. The threading and side-load bobbin are no problem, especially if you have experience with older machines like I do. The Juki doesn't come with a huge amount of attachments, but I really think what comes with it is sufficient; and it's especially nice to get a real quality walking foot.CONS: The user manual is terrible, very little explanation with awful pictures. But there are enough videos on youtube for it not to matter much. As with most sewing machines, the lighting is dim, but I bought an led light strip which I attached underneath the throat area, and it is lit up beautifully now. That was an extra expense that was well worth it. My only real complaint is the needle threader. It took me a long time to figure out how to use it, and only after watching countless youtube videos over and over. The one on my Singer works like a breeze, so this one was very frustrating. I find that I still have a problem with it, as it sticks in the down position. I think I may have found videos on how to fix that problem, as others have encountered it, but I won't bother myself with that right now - I just thread the needle by hand.I know this was a long review, but when I was doing my research, I wanted to know specifics about the machines I was interested in. I hope I've helped someone else to make an informed decision. All in all, this is a dream machine. I bought it for a specific purpose, and it serves that purpose like a champ.

I decided to upgrade my Brother Project Runway machine and order this Juki to have a more heavy duty industrial type machine. I did a thorough search including you tube videos and decided on this model. I make home decor items like pillow and purses with upholstery fabrics as well as other home sewing projects. I was looking for a machine that would sew well over heavy fabrics like jeans and layers of upholstery. I love the super fast albeit straight stitch of this machine. It's super simple to operate as it has no bells and whistles....just an awesome and fast straight stitch. The needle threaded takes some getting used to to get it to work, but once you do, its pretty good, but not necessary. There's a you tube video to help with that too. I broke the thread cutter on the first one I purchased and Juki replaced it very easily after I called and spoke with the nicest guy in tech support (I held the phone up to the machine so he could hear the noise it made). I broke the bobbin case on the second Juki, but again the vendor's tech support is super nice, patient, and sent me a new one, no problem. I love this machine!! It will glide over many layers of heavy fabric so easily. I probably need a walking foot machine for some of my super thick fabric layered projects, but otherwise this machine is great. Wish it had a zig zag foot, but I just use the old machine for this. Most of the parts are metal and will hold up well as opposed to a cheaper machine that is mostly plastic. I love the fast and slow options for stitching. You will still want various needles like jeans needles for heavier fabrics. This seller has been great to work with me when I had to return the first one and the price was very reasonable for the machine purchase.