It’s that time of year in Austin. It’s getting hotter and hotter and all I want to wear are knits! So this month I’ve been sewing up a bunch of knit projects, and decided it was about time to upgrade my serger.
Meet my new addition!
I’ve been thinking about upgrading for awhile now. I bought my first serger, a Babylock Imagine, about 13 years ago. It is still a fantastic little machine. I bought it barely used on eBay for an absolute steal–I felt so lucky!
I loved how lightweight and easy it was to set up but over time a few specific things started driving me crazy. Two of them were fixable but others weren’t. I wanted a machine that had better lighting and wouldn’t bounce around my sewing table.
At first I thought it’d be natural to upgrade to another Babylock (you bet I love that jet air threading!). Then I started looking at Juki sergers. They get great reviews and I already own two awesome Juki sewing machines (an Exceed F600 and a TL-2010).
Testing the Juki MO 654DE
Over Christmas I bought and tried the Juki MO 654DE for about a week.
It’s a super quality serger for the low price, and I understand why the Juki portable series are so popular. It’s lightweight, easy to set up and makes great seams. Contrary to the horror stories I’d heard about threading sergers, I found manual threading to be quite a breeze! Juki machines are all very good about including thread guides with little guide dots so I never got confused about what went where.
However, the deal breaker was the lack of space around the foot and knife. There is a knife cover that goes right up to the edge of the foot and when you pull it away, the machine locks as a precaution.
This made it impossible lift the presser foot and slip some materials just under the knife to give them a head start. This is a little trick I do for seams on some bulky or slippery knits. If I merely place some of these fabrics at the head of a serger foot and allow the feed dogs to pull them under, the top layer gets pushed back and the seam misaligns.
There were other things that bothered me, including how much I needed to tweak the presser foot pressure, thread tension and differential feed to get mesh knits to stop twisting. I sew these fabrics a lot. On my Imagine, I never had to adjust differential feed, and it also had automatic tension.
After this experience, I knew it might be a good idea to visit a dealer and do some test drives!
And the Winner is… Another Juki!
Before going into the dealer I researched a few machines, including a Babylock Enlighten and a Janome 1200D. I really liked the Janome, at least from what I read about it, but sadly the dealer did not have it in stock.
After looking at some Brother and Singer models I gravitated toward another Juki that I hadn’t heard about–the MO 1000. While pricier than the MO 654DE, it was less than the other two models I was considering.
What I brought with me to practice on: lightweight stretch mesh, sweatshirt knit, cotton jersey, rayon jersey, wool gabardine, and silk crepe. Even without changing needles it handled them all beautifully.
I loved this machine!
First, it is quiet, at least quieter than my Babylock and other machines I tried. It has a nice hum that purrs more than chops. And when it is going fast it does not move. The base is firm and stable.
It has push button threading! I think this is the first non-Babylock machine to offer this feature.
It has a nice removable waste catcher. I never thought about this as a feature but it will save me space. (I usually keep a plastic tub next to my serger.)
It’s easy to clean on the front and the sides by swinging out the housing, and very important to me feature–a bright enough LED light.
Overall I’ve been very pleased and more importantly I felt like I knew what I was doing as soon as I started sewing on it. That sort of thing is intangible but if you’ve been sewing for awhile, you know what I mean! I swear I’m not trying to stick with Jukis, but I keep gravitating toward them. They’re doing something right.
Final Thoughts on Machine Shopping
Those of you who are research fanatics like me, I can’t recommend highly enough visiting a dealer to try some machines if you want to upgrade. There’s a good chance you have favorite materials–bring a bag of those scraps with you. There’s no better test than sewing with your usual suspects.
Another plus for dealers–the price. Thankfully the dealer I often frequent is not a “hard seller” where I feel as if I’m being talked into something. I’m not a good haggler so I’ll usually take the price as given or ask to buy the floor model. But even with my meek ways, I got a better deal than the price that’s going on Amazon, for example.
In addition, the salesgirl who walked me through the machines also gave me some new priceless tips on serging I’d never tried before. I figured out a lot of things on my own over the last ten years but all through trial and error. Perhaps a course would have sped that process up!
What serger do you use? I’d love to hear!
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I too have a love for juki’s. Mine is a MO 644d, the baby brother of your 1000.
I’m not surprised that you gravitated towards a juki, given your past history with babylocks, as the crew who started babylock used to work for juki, before starting the company. Juki also makes Bernina over lockers/sergers, which are a lot more expensive, due to the brand name. In fact, when I bought my juki, the equivalent Bernina model (the only difference being tension disks rather than knobs) would’ve been £400 more expensive! I test drove both and my juki’s stitch quality won hands down!
I highly recommend mine and can imagine it lasting for a very long time!
Hi Anna, thanks for sharing! They really know what they are doing, don’t they? I know Juki was established in the industrial machine market before they made home machines. I think they figured out some good things. Their machines are so user-friendly!
I just got a Juki MO-654DE. For me, it is a huge step up from what I had. Unlike my previous serger, it will sew beautifully on any fabric. So far I’ve only tested it on a bunch of scraps of hard-to-sew fabrics and sewn one stretchy knit top with it. But so far, I love it. For anyone with a smaller budget, don’t hesitate to buy this machine!
I’m not sure what you mean about the knife cover keeping you from slipping materials under the knife. It does block your view of the knife a bit, but obviously it can’t block access to the knife or the machine wouldn’t work. I slip materials right under the knife to start the seam, and it works just fine. In fact, the shape of the knife cover helps feed bulky fabrics into the knife without jamming.
Hi Leila, I’m not sure I know how to explain that without showing it in person! I don’t mean it blocks access to the knife but that I could not push fabrics all the way under if I had a biggish seam allowance to cut off. If I put the fabric *all the way under* the knife, ideally for me the seam allowance should hang off the side of the knife and not get pushed up against the body of the machine or pushed down against the knife cover which is what happened.
It’s totally a great machine in a lot of aspects. I sewed on it for a week trying to convince myself! In the end it wasn’t what I wanted and I had the budget to go up ;).
Great post. I have struggled with choosing machines. I have two Viking sergers and love them both. One has the cover stitch which I could never get to work with out the thread breaking. So I bought a coverstitch machine which I love.
I own a Bernina sewing machine and it is time to buy a new one because it won’t sew the bra channeling without skipping stitches. What brand of sewing machine do you use and does it sew without complaining (skipped stitches, gathering, thread breaking ect.)?
Thanks for sharing. Jnetti
Hi Jeannette, I use a Juki F600 for most of my sewing. I wrote about it here. Those issues you describe sound like something might need to be repaired (thread breaking or skipped stitches could have to do with a part being worn out). Have you tried taking it into a repair shop? All of my machines have needed little tune-ups and repairs now and then… and they always come back like new!
Also I love my coverstitch, too. I never wanted an all-in-one machine–it felt like too much work ;).
Just wanted to quickly comment and say that I use a Pfaff Tiptronic (over 10 years old) and it is fabulous for sewing bra channelling!
I have an old Elna overlocker + coverstitch and I found the same problem, the left needle thread kept snapping and I’d end up with a chainstitch instead. Lots of trial and error, numerous interpretations of the instructions and at least 3 full rethreadings finally gave me a solution.
With the coverstitch, I found that, once you thread it correctly, in the right sequence, BEFORE you take a single stitch, or even touch the flywheel, you need to put some fabric under the needles, ready to go… Apparently this is the only way it’ll form the stitch correctly. It turns out that it says this in my manual (in an infuriatingly abstract way).
Also my instructions state that, when I get to the end of my fabric, I must must run off a few stitches but ONLY with the tension released… Why? I’ve not the foggiest but it seems to work. It may be that this may work for you too?
FOR what it’s worth. When ever I hear someones thread is breaking breaking I want them to check their needle to see if it is in backwards. I had fabric stores for 30 some years and Juki sergers were my main love. So much so Juki hired me as a National consultant and I did their national showes for many years. There is a little grove in the front of needle so the thread doesn’t wear out going through the eye and break. Anytime someone would call and say they’re thread was breaking every little bit I would ask them to look and see if there needle was in backwards. Almost every time it was. Just a thought to check.. Jonna
That’s great advice Jonna. I’m sure many folks put needles in backwards without thinking about it. It’s amazing how threading properly can fix a multitude of issues!
I SO love your blog posts! So informative.
i second that emotion, i am always thrilled when you post and i don’t care if it’s once a year! (don’t do that though. kthx.)
i keep dragging my old broke ass elna pro dc 5 out and cajoling her into a few serged seams. the 654 is on my wishlist but maybe i need to try this one out…
Aww, thanks! You should definitely try the 654. I don’t want to talk anyone out of it (unless they serge a lot of mesh, ha)–for the price it’s a really good machine. Since you already have a serger and know how they work, I’d definitely test run it at your shop ;).
Great post. I also have a Babylock Imagine serger and a separate Babylock coverstitch machine. I am also annoyed by how much vibrations and shaking I get from the Imagine. I’m actually fine with the lighting. But because I already have a coverstitch it seems silly to upgrade to the next step up, the Evolution/Ovations since I really don’t know what I’d do with more than 4 threads in my serger and the benefits would be small compared to the many thousands I’d be shelling out. (I also got my serger on ebay for a fine price). So watching your thought process and seeing that the Juki also has the air threading (which I love so much) was very interesting. I may also have an upgrade at some point and I may go your direction.
Hi Suzanne, I’m with you–I had very similar needs. I love my coverstitch and didn’t need a big bells and whistles serger (I never use 5 threads). I know it’s so hard to swallow the prices of Babylocks. Definitely give this Juki a whirl if you get a chance–it’s really great!
I have a Janome (640d I think), over 10 years old and it is great. Would love to know what the ‘top tips’ were that picked up from the dealer – I am mostly self taught and often wonder ‘what I don’t know’! I also need help (?!) with my Coverstitch machine. I got one last year and thought I would be loving it and using it like my server . . . . but we just don’t get on together 🙁
I’ve always been curious about Janome machines!
If I do a project using one of those tricks I’ll try to take some pictures. And I’m sorry to hear you aren’t getting on with the coverstitch! There are some good tips online in various places but I wonder if your dealer offers lessons? I might do a post about my coverstitch at some point. Right now I’m really into binding!
I use Janome 9200D, probably the most basic but reliable overlocker! Before purchasing it, I had a few requirements in mind: it had to be not very expensive, easy to move and a real workhorse. This one ticks all the boxes and even more, never failed to impress. I own it over a year now and could not wish for more. All the fabrics I worked with, jersey, chiffon, lycra, cotton, wool, are very happy too 🙂
I wish my dealer would have had more Janomes to try–they’re not as popular here for some reason–and this one looks great, too!
I have the Babylock Evolve. When I need to replace her, it will be with the Juki MO 1000. I test drove it at the ASG Conference last year. Yes, it is the first machine to have the air threading capability. Babylock’s patent expired. As for now, my Evolve is working like a charm. Happy serging.
Hi Tee, the Evolve seems like a really cool machine. If I didn’t already have a coverstitch I would have tried that one first! Interesting about Babylock’s patent. You probably noticed that the push button works a bit differently but I really like it! Happy serging indeed!
Thanks for sharing your review! I’m noticing the tension on my current serger is starting to get a little …weird, even when I fuss with things to try and fix it. It’s a cheaper model but is excellent for beginners so I’m still quite happy with it, but I think I’ll be due for an upgrade before too long. I’ve heard great things about Juki so I’ll be sure to keep them in mind when it’s time for a new one 🙂
Thanks so much for this. I bought my serger on a whim, but based on a recommendation for a reasonably priced starter machine. After sewing for 5 years, I do think i’m about due for an upgrade. Will seriously be looking at a Juki. 🙂
Thank you so much for thorough review of the Juki MO-1000
I recently test drove the juki mo-1000, and loved how smooth and quiet it was and even the air threading seemed less vibrating and quiet. The dealer sells mostly babylock, which I thought, one day, I would bite the bullet and get an enlighten. So, they weren’t too informative or enthusiastic about the juki.
I am so thankful to read your first hand experience with it!
Hi Kerri! I’m glad you found this helpful. This machine is fairly new on the market, so it makes sense that dealers are still getting used to it. I think it fills a great niche among the mid-to-high priced sergers. At some point I should probably write a more detailed review about it, since not much has been written yet!
I loved my Imagine, and if this hadn’t fallen into my path I think I would have gone with the Enlighten. Did you get to test drive the Enlighten, too?
I didn’t get a chance for a thorough look at the enlighten. I had a friend with me and there was too much going on. It’s so funny, when you sit at a machine in a sew and vac, all sorts of activity starts buzzing around and then I get shy and get up!
I will let you know when I try it and compare again. The babylocks are great, they are just a little high priced.
I hear ya. Being an introvert who is wary of sales tactics and busy stores, I a “I need alone time to look and touch before you talk to me” customer. I ask for some time with the machine/s and if it gets too busy around me I walk away. That’s why I find it easier to be armed with a list of specific features so I can look for them and not get sidetracked! Also, Babylocks are higher priced but there are a lot of features that make them worth it. (I’ve learned to ask dealers about warranties and Babylocks have a great one.) I rarely had to adjust my Imagine, just clean it out from time to time. I don’t know if you’ve tried that one but it’s a great machine! Anyway I hope you get to try any of those machines so you can make a decision you’re happy with! 😉
Two days ago I purchased a Juki MO-1000. I had a Janome 240D that suddenly died and needed a serious upgrade after spending probably 15-20 yrs. with that little workhorse. I read about servers and visited several dealers, doing my homework. I really thought I wanted a Babylock. After weighing quality, price and features, I selected the Juki MO-1000. I LOVE it. Perfectly balanced stitching. The machine stays put. Easy air threading. Lots of quality for the price. My sewing machine is a Janome 15000, which in my estimation, is all the machine anyone could ever need!! I upgraded from a 6000, to a 9000, to an 11000 to this dream of a machine over the last 25 yrs. I’m a happy woman!!
Fantastic! This is how I went about my decision, too. Lots of research, really thinking I was going to end up with another Babylock but then discovering this gem. I’ve never sewn with a Janome but I’ve heard great things about your machine.
I’m still using my little Juki MO-654DE but I’m dreaming to have as soon as possible the Juki MO-1000!
Can you tell me what it’s been like to go from the Imagine where your tension was automatic, to the MO-1000 where you must work the tension yourself. Do you prefer to adjust your own tension? Did the Imagine ever get it wrong?
Hi Meredith, I never played with tension on the Imagine, but that’s not to say it always got it right. I probably didn’t notice or ignored it when it was off. On the Juki I’ve been paying more attention probably because it’s new and I’m trying to fix all the silly serging mistakes I used to make. I haven’t really had to adjust the tension very much.
However, I do adjust differential feed a bit more. It’s usually just a couple of clicks in one direction or the other for different fabrics. I always serge a few scraps before I start on a project, and did that on the Imagine, too. So it doesn’t add more time to do a few little adjustments. Hope that helps!
I have a Bernina 1130 sewing machine and Juki 634DE serger both bought new nearly 25 years ago. I’m ashamed to say that they have never been serviced or professionally cleaned in all those years but have served me well. One of the metal thread holders/clips on my serger near the lower loopers recently broke off but its still sewing just fine. I live in a small town and just haven’t wanted to send either machine away for servicing. I would buy both brands again without hesitation and they have been excellent machines.
Hi ! I just found your post … I was hesitating between a Babylock Evolution and a Juki 1000 and I’m going tomorrow to my reseller :-)… and I have the same question that others had concerning the automatic tension. It’s quite surprising you change from an automatic to a manual… but I’m happy to see it seems not to be too much time consuming.
I’ve tried the baby lock and it’s very noisy and the light is not so good.
Had you some problems with the automatic tension with some specific kind of jersey or others?
Thank you for your post !
Hi Xtine,
On the Babylock Imagine I never had tension issues with jersey. I have to play a lot with the Juki to get correct tension, and it did take a mental shift because I had never had to do that before. Honestly, now that I’ve had the Juki for awhile, I do miss the way the Babylock handled lightweight fabrics so easily, but the Juki does have better light and I like the way it threads. I don’t have any experience with the Evolution but I may still try it; I guess I got spoiled by the Babylock! I definitely suggest test-driving both and bringing the fabrics you sew the most to make a good decision!
Good comments about the Juki serger. May I know how you compared the Juki MO1000 to the BL Enlighten or Imagine? I do fine fashion sewing. If cost were not an issue, I would like to know what you would buy for a serger, and why. So many thanks. Great site.
Hi there, I hope my post was clear on your very question—it was all about what I did buy and why! Unfortunately, I haven’t test driven the Enlighten so I can’t compare it to the Juki. As I mentioned, I wanted to go up a notch from my Imagine. (It’s still a good machine, though.) That meant either the Enlighten or the Juki MO1000. Cost wasn’t an issue for me at all—it just happens that I went into my dealer and really liked sewing on the Juki. Ultimately, trying these yourself are going to be your best guide!
Amy I love your blog! Thank you for being such an amazing guide when it comes to this stuff, especially about the Juki.
I would love to send you a free sewing tool I created. It helps with all sorts of sewing techniques like english-applique, paper-piecing, iron on embellishments, plus more. Please email me with your best mailing address. I could only hope to repay you for all the sewing knowledge you have supplied me with! Thank you again!
Hi Evelyn, thank you so much for the compliments. I don’t accept promotional queries or product placements in blog comments, so I have edited your comment to reflect my policy. But you are more than welcome to contact me via email and we can correspond there! Here’s my contact page. Thanks! Amy
From what I’ve read elsewhere, Babylock is more of a reseller/marketing/distribution company than a manufacturer. It’s really hard to find a definitive statement but Babylock overlockers appear to be “badge-engineered” Jukis made to Babylock’s specifications.
If that’s correct, then :
(a) It’s maybe not surprising that someone familiar with Babylock should take to a Juki.
(b) Expiry of “Babylock’s [air threading] patent” (see comment by TEE) is a bit mysterious. It would be unusual, though not completely impossible, for a reseller to hold patent on some aspect of a product, not the manufacturer. I’m left wondering whether it was some kind of *commercial* agreement between Babylock and Juki that expired, not copyright? A scenario that makes sense would be that Babylock and Juki jointly-funded the development of air threading and the two companies made a legally-binding agreement for it to be sold only under the Babylock brand name for the first 15 years or so?
(c) It’s maybe not surprising that a Juki should be the first non-Babylock machine to appear with air threading.
Food for thought.
Woah, it’s even simpler!
Baby Lock is a trade name of JUKI Co. Ltd.
Read this: http://www.babylock.co.jp/global/corprate_profile/
I don’t see the connection between Suzuki and Juki.
Mike Beard, well spotted. I must have been suffering a large dose of dyslexia on 29 May and managed to read “Suzuki” as “Juki”.
Everyone, please ignore my statement about the relationship between Baby Lock and JUKI.
Thanks for your insights! It doesn’t surprise me that Juki and Babylock have the same parent corporation, and why the two brands would have separate marketing or feature developments/roll-outs. They occupy different markets. Juki’s domestic products fill a great market niche that was previously ignored in the U.S. a decade ago–it’s not a luxury machine market with dealer-exclusive contracts (Bernina, Babylock), but a bit above the mass-market Singers, et. al.
I was looking at either the Juki or the Babylock Imagine–both seem to be great machines. A Juki mo1000 came on Craigslist and I got it for 450–a bargain.
I am very impressed with the Juki and how quiet it is. So my old ones go on EBay–older Pfaffs that take an hour to thread! I’m at the age where I want something to work without a lot of fuss.
Karl, that is a great bargain!
So glad I found this site. I am looking to get a new serger. Had a Pfaff for many years then went to a Huskylock. I am having problems with it and tired of it being in the shop, roughly 10 years old. Made a couple of calls today to 2 different shops. One has Juki and Viking and the other Babylock. Was leaning toward Babylock with air thread but after reading about Juki mo-1000 here, I will be visiting both places tomorrow. I need a working machine now for granddaughter to use for upper level 4-H projects. thanks for the review.
Pamela, that sounds like a fun day! That’s exactly what I did. I went to two shops the day I purchased this. It’s always an experience looking or trying new machines, even if I don’t buy. I hope you find one you love!
Thanks for this review! I am looking at this serger, and all of your information about it is very helpful. I did have a question though. Have you had any issues with setting the tension? Thanks again!
Hi Denise,
No, setting tension is really straightforward. Before I bought this Juki, I had a machine that had automatic tension so I had never learned how to get proper tensions with manual adjustments. So it just took a bit of practice, and I practice on some scraps of my chosen fabric before beginning any new project.
This is one of my favorite posts by a sewing blogger on finding good serger tension: http://www.makery.uk/2015/06/serger-series-part-3-nailing-tension/
Maybe you will find that as helpful as I did!
Thank you for your review!
I would like to upgrade my serger and I think the juki Mo 1000 could be a good option. I am looking for a very quiet and noiseless serger because of my neighbors and even for me, I have a Bernina 610d now and it is so loud that I feel sewing uncomfortable with this machine. I read this Juki mo 1000 is built to reduce the vibrations and the sound. I can not try it because I would buy it on the internet, this model is not available in my city. Could you recommend me this machine as a quiet?
Thank you again for your help!
Hmm, that’s a good question. I don’t have much experience with other sergers so I’d hesitate to compare. I haven’t particularly noticed or been bothered by the noise. It has a strong suction base so it doesn’t rattle on my table like my Babylock did when I picked up speed, and that was a plus in my book.
I really appreciated your blog post about the Juki serger, Amy. I found a good deal on the MO1000 and was thinking I would probably get it. In my investigations I found the MO2000 for only $30 more. It has the LCD screen with settings shown for the different stitches. I wondered since you mentionned that you are setting the tensions more on this machine if you are still happy with it. Would having the settings on a screen instead of searching the manual make the process easier. It is still manually set. Just wondering about your impressions now a year later. Thanks for any insights you can give.
Hi Cindy!
I didn’t know there was a new model! But that’s a good question. I still like my machine a lot. It has some cons compared to my Babylock but the pros outweigh it. My personal preference is always for knobs and buttons over LCD screens, no matter what kind of sewing machine I’m using. I’m not sure why, but whatever I use it’s all a matter of getting used to where those settings are. The tension knob is really obvious on this serger so I don’t need to look that up. But if you are asking about searching the manual for optimal types of tension for fabrics, I find that I don’t do that anyway. I test on fabrics to see what looks best and I would do that regardless if the tension was set using a digital screen or a knob. Does that answer your question?
Thanks, it does help. I wasn’t clear that the new model still has manual tension with knobs. The screen is a reference screen and it will record your own settings for specific stitches too. Otherwise it is the 1000 in new clothing. Thank you for sharing your experience. This would be my first and I am sure only serger so I appreciate all advice from others more experienced than me.
How fun! I know I mentioned this in the post and other comments but if you have the option to buy a serger from a local shop, I definitely recommend that—especially if it is your first serger. Even though I have been sewing with sergers for over a decade and researched several brands/models before buying this, I still gained a lot of good practical help from test-driving this machine at my dealer and got some great tips I would never have figured out by googling around. It really helped when purchasing something this expensive!
I just picked up the MO-2000 from my local shop. The sales gal told me that this model, with the LCD screen, is only sold in stores by dealers while the MO-1000 is being sold online. She confirms what Cindy said, that the main difference between the two models is the LCD screen with recommendation settings (doesn’t change it for you) and the ability to custom save tension settings numbers for stitches. It’s different looking cosmetically – I actually prefer the look of the 1000.
I also tested a Viking serger before my purchase. I liked the look of the Viking better and it had a built in thread cutter and a measurement guide which was nice, but it was less smooth, was louder and vibrated the whole table. I like the lighting better on the Juki as well. It was bright white light while the Viking was a wam yellow. To be fair, the Viking was half the cost of the Juki so maybe the higher end model Vikings are more comparable.
I don’t know much about sergers as this is my first purchase but the Juki won out!
This has been so helpful. I am currently using a Bernina 1200 and an old basic White serger. I am looking to upgrade my White. I have looked at the Bernina 1300MDC the Judi and Baby Lock as I thought I would like a cover stitch capability. After further research, I don’t think I will get the cover stitch machine so now I’m confused as to what to buy in a basic/midline serger. These comments have been very helpful and will now check out the Juki MO 1000 and 2000. One of the stores I was at today tried to direct me more toward the baby lock and downplayed the Juki and only had one model to try. I do love the Bernina 1200 I am using, but want a lower price point for my new one.
It sounds like you are on the right track trying different models! When you get coverstitch involved it’s different. I’ve never tried a coverstitch/serger combination machine. I have a standalone coverstitch but I’m super curious about those combination machines if only for the sake of space.