Brother PQ1500SL Quilting And Sewing Machine Review

Brother PQ1500SL quilting and sewing machine is another quality product from the brother sewing machine brand. The machine is described as a high-speed quilting and sewing machine being able to make 1500 stitches per minute. Like all of the brother sewing machines, this machine also has its own features that stand it out, such as an automatic needle threader, a retractable drop feed dog control, exclusive pin feed mechanism, etc.

I can tell you for free that this machine was made to meet your sewing and quilting needs, especially if you work with bulky fabrics.

Brother PQ1500SL Quilting and Sewing Machine Review

Pin Feed Mechanism

Brother PQ1500SL quilting and sewing machine comes with a pin feed mechanism that allows you to manage your fabric effectively. This adjustable pin feed mechanism makes it possible for you to exchange the feed dogs that you are using for one pin that’s cleanly extending from underneath the machine. This makes a velvet that’s very delicate and moves all your quilt layers together without leaving behind marks from the feed dog. It also has four additional settings for the feed dogs which gives you maximum control of your fabric as you sew or quilt. The presence of an extension table and a knee lifter adds comfort for your quilting projects.

The feed dog comes with an adjuster which allows you to work easily on different types of fabrics, including fabrics like velvet, especially when used in conjunction with the presser foot pressure dial, which is another feature of the Brother PQ1500SL machine.

Time-Saving Features

For all of these machine’s ability to both sew and quilt, it also has features in it that allows you to save a lot of time while working sewing or quilting on the machine. Firstly, the machine is described as a fast speed machine with the ability to sew at a maximum speed of 1500 stitches per minute. It’s not often that you get a heavy-duty machine such as this and still has that much speed.

This Brother machine also has a F.A.S.T. needle threading system that allows you to save time and stress of threading the needle in the machine. It threads the needle for you in a very fast and efficient manner and is also easy to use.

The quick bobbin system is another feature that allows you to save time on threading the bobbin. This system changes the bobbins easily and very quickly. It also has an in-built thread cutter.

The automatic thread cutter feature of this machine is one that allows you to cut both the top thread and the bottom thread in a very neat way that doesn’t compromise the integrity of the sewing project you’re working on. It also resets instantly, as soon as the thread is cut, for you to continue or start a new sewing project. Thereby, saving you a lot of time.

Features and Description

Brother PQ1500SL quilting and sewing machine is a heavy-duty machine weighing up to 30 pounds and is therefore not portable and easy to transport. Although, you can argue that it is constructed to give better stability. But it does have a lot of other amazing and unarguable features which will make fall in love with it.

• Stitching speed: for a machine, this heavy and also able to work on heavy fabrics, this machine is very fast. It has a maximum speed of 1500 stitched per minute. This obviously, saves you a lot of time in your sewing and quilting projects, allowing you to do more in a short space of time.
• Stitches: This machine has an impressively massive 100 stitch patterns that are built in it. And all of these stitches are able to produce different sewing functions. You can combine these stitches in a dozen different ways to create a unique stitch for your sewing project.
• Presser foot pressure adjustment dial: this sewing and quilting machine has a knob that allows you to adjust the pressure of the presser foot. This knob is coded with color, in order to allow you to coordinate both the feed dog height and the pressure of the presser foot. This feature is extremely important for helping you to sew on difficult fabrics and different fabrics with their different thicknesses, giving you a stitch quality that is both smooth and consistent.
• Feed dog adjuster: this is another important feature on the machine that allows you to work with ease on the different types of fabrics, including special and delicate fabrics like velvet. This feature works best when you use it in conjunction with the presser foot pressure dial.
• Fabric extension table: this machine comes with its own fabric extension table which gives you a bigger workspace in case you have to sew large materials or quilt on bulky fabrics. The dimension this workspace gives is a width of 8.6” and a height of 5.7”
• Advanced needle threading system: this F.A.S.T. needle threading system is one that saves you time and stress on threading your needle. The machine threads the needle automatically in a very fast way, making the machine easier to use.
• Advanced needle up/down feature: this is a feature of the machine in which the needle is stopped at a position where it’s lowered down by just touching a button. This makes it easy to rotate the fabric you’re working on. You can also pre-program the position of the needle when you stop the machine to be at the up position or lowered position.
• Quick bobbin threading: this is another feature of the machine that helps to save time while working on this machine. The quick bobbin system changes the bobbin very easily and very quickly as well. It also has an in-built thread cutter. The drop-in top bobbin is also one that’s convenient and resistant to jamming.
• Thread tension control: the thread tension dial of this quilting and sewing machine helps you to accurately and conveniently control the tension in your machine.
• Precision pin feeding system: the pin feed system which brings about the precision fabric feeding on this Brother machine makes it very easy for you to sew on a wide range of fabrics with differing thicknesses on this machine.
• Automatic thread cutter: this feature is another one of the time-saving features on this machine. The machine has a button that automatically triggers the cutting of both threads at the top and bottom of the fabric neatly when it is tapped. This also instantly resets to allow you to continue sewing or start a new sewing project.
• Knee lifter: the Brother brand didn’t just build this machine for speed or for working on different types of fabrics. It was also built for convenience. The knee lifter and some other features of the machine prove this. The removable feature of the machine allows you to use your knee to lift the presser foot. This leaves you with both hands to handle the fabric and work more effectively.
• Accessories: the machine comes with a number of accessories for convenience of use. Among these accessories are a softcover, fabric separator, seam guide, knee lifter, feed pin, and feed pin changer, extension table, 8 different accessory feet and so on. The accessory feet include rolled hem foot, pin feed foot, adjustable zipper foot, general purpose foot, straight stitch sewing foot, quarter-inch foot, invisible zipper foot, and walking foot.
• Brother support: the brother sewing machine brand is known for standing behind their product and providing supports for their customers whenever it’s needed. This is one of the reasons why they’re a reputable brand for sewing machines. It’s no different for the Brother PQ1500SL quilting and sewing machine. Brother offers free online and technical support for users throughout the life of the machine. The machine also comes with a limited warranty of 25 whole years.

Pros and Cons Of Brother PQ1500SL

Brother PQ1500SL quilting and sewing machine is an affordable machine that’s good for different levels of sewers, including, intermediate and expert sewers. It has all the necessary tools needed for basic sewing and quilting jobs with a lot of other interesting features.

But like many other sewing machines and other equipment, Brother PQ1500SL has its pros and cons. Understanding this and weighing both the pros and the cons will help you determine whether or not you should be buying this sewing machine, and if it’s the right one for you.

Pros

• This sewing machine has outstanding speed and is undoubtedly one of the fastest sewing machines in the class and price that it’s in.
• The built-in knee lifter that allows you to lift the presser foot with your knees freeing your hands to work on the fabric is an important feature when you’re sewing or quilting on large materials.
• It has a lot of feet for both sewing and quilting.
• There are a lot of features on the machine to help save time and sew or quilt faster.
• It is perfect for quilting on the free motion.
• The machine is very durable and comes with a 25 years warranty.
• It has a good and affordable price.
• It works very well with multi-layers and heavy fabrics very efficiently. This heavy-duty machine allows you to work effectively on fabrics such as leather, denim, and vinyl as well.
• The machine has an extra space that comes with it for you to work on very large fabrics.
• It’s very easy to maintain the machine. If you’re someone that uses it very frequently, it means that you have to oil it regularly as well. This is quite easy as there are small holes outside the machine where you can put the oil. This is unlike other machines that will require you to dismantle them before oiling.
• For a machine that’s so quick, it is incredibly quiet.
• It has a telescopic thread stand for sewers that will like to use cone thread.
• The fabric separator of this machine comes in really handy if you have to work on fabric that doesn’t join easily.
• It has an adjustable stitch length that can be up to 7mm, while many other machines have 6mm length.

Cons

• The machine might have tension issues but this is mostly due to not placing the bobbin properly or not threading it properly.
• The sewing machine is bulky and weighs almost 30 pounds. This means that it’s not a portable machine and transporting it might not be an easy task.
• It does not do monogramming.
• The automatic needle threader isn’t consistent. It works with certain needle and thread sizes. It works well with smaller sizes but doesn’t with bigger threads and needles.
• It needs an electric system 120V and the warranty doesn’t cover electric ratings.
• It’s not very easy to understand and would require you to use it a couple of times before you fully understand and perfect its use.
• There’s no way to know when the thread on the bobbin is low. There are other machines with clear tops and top-drop bobbins that allows you to see the amount of thread that’s remaining in the bobbin. It’s not cool to make 500 stitched before realizing that the bobbin is out of thread.
• The machine is a straight stitch machine, so you don’t have the luxury of decorative stitches like the button-hole stitch.
• The thread cutter might cut the thread too short sometimes and this might cause you to rethread.
• It has so many learning curves and is not ideal for beginners.
• The machine doesn’t have automatic speed control. You have to really get used to, and understand how to control the speed of the machine with its foot pedal.
• The LED light isn’t bright enough if you like to work at night. So, you’ll need to have an extra source of light or you would have to really strain your vision.

Customer Reviews And Score

The Brother PQ1500SL quilting and sewing machine is a heavy-duty and powerful machine with a lot of features that allow users to sew and quilt easily on the machine. It is designed for fast completion of the sewing and quilting project and is convenient to use once you get a hang of the machine. It’s convenient for the different range of users, including pros and intermediary, while there are few issues with a beginner using it to learn how to sew. But really, it’s only difficult if you don’t understand how to use it.

As at the time of writing this review, there have already been over 500 reviews of this machine with most of them being positive and the machine scoring 4.6 stars out of a possible 5 star. This is quite an impressive score for the machine.

One of the users of this machine says the machine “sews like a dream”. Another user says “it’s the right choice of sewing machine.” One user claims the machine is a “little powerhouse”, and another says it’s “so easy to use”.

But there are some users however that didn’t enjoy buying the machine with one user claiming they didn’t get the instruction for using the machine, so the machine is useless to them. Another user claims it’s very difficult to work with the machine and it has unbearable tension issues. A different user complained about the weight of the machine, also complaining that their machine didn’t work properly and they had to return it.

These critical reviews are, however, very minute in comparison to the positive reviews with 8% users giving it a 5-star rating and a further 10% giving it 4 stars. This means that 90% of the users rate it 4 stars and above.

Conclusion

In summary, Brother PQ1500SL quilting and sewing machine is very highly rated and is recommended for all sewers and quilters worth their salt. This machine can be used by all range of users once you understand your way around the machine. It has a lot of features, especially those that enable you to work very fast with the machine and finish your quilting and sewing projects earlier than you would with other machines.

As with many other sewing machines made by Brother, it is very durable will surely last long. It also comes with a limited warranty of 25 years from the manufacturers as a guarantee. It also comes with a user’s instructional manual to help you understand how the machine works and how you’re to use it. You should always refer to the manual as your first point of call if you have any issues with the machine. Brothers also offer online technical support and a free customer phone which gives you access to the manufacturers for support at any time throughout the life span of the machine.

Although, one of the downsides of this machine is that it’s very, but for a heavy-duty machine with a lot of impressive features you’re definitely going to get the value for your money on this one.