JUKI HZL-27Z Sewing Machine

I purchased the Juki HZL-27Z as a gold box deal for $159.99 and am totally pleased with my purchase. I had been thinking about getting a compact machine that would be a nice backup machine as well as function as a portable while RVing. I currently use a Brother Quattro and Brother SE270D and primarily do crafts, machine embroidery, and quilting with them. When this deal came up, I couldn't pass it up!Although I have never tried using other portable machines like a Singer featherweight or a Janome Jem, I thought I would give the Juki a try. Juki has a good reputation for its commercial and higher end machines. I also wanted something that was not computerized as my backup since I would be moving it quite a bit.Pros:Lightweight - weighs 12 pounds reportedly; I weighed it at 12.8Easy to use out of the box - it has similar bobbin winding, top loading bobbin, and threading as my other Brother machines; you do have to thread through the top hole of the bobbin prior to winding, however. I think that anyone who has any sewing experience would find it very easy to use. For beginners, it would also be easy to understand with its manual or perhaps even without, since it has nice diagrams right on the machine. The manual is easy to understand.Manual automatic needle threader is easy to useAdjustable length and width of stitchesNice even straight stitching with ability to adjust tensionI think the thing that I am most impressed with is the feed dogs. It sewed through 3 layers of denim, no problem. With 5 layers, it needed help feeding it through. It also has a jig-type button on the presser foot for thicker fabrics. It seemed to work well.Cons:The vertical spool pin is short. You cannot put a spool cap on it unless the spool is really short or you could just use the provided felt. You would have to use a thread stand if you want to use the vertical spool pin with larger spools.The horizontal spool pin is angled toward the machine so if you are used to using larger spools it might be difficult. Standard size ones work fine.The handle is located at the back of the machine. When you carry it, the front of the machine angles forward.The flatbed has no handle at the bottom to remove it when you switch to free arm. I found that I would have to open the compartment door to get a grip to get it off the machine.It has a 4 step buttonhole instead of 1 step. Since I rarely make buttonholes, this wasn't an issue for me. If you are in to garment sewing, it might.It is noiser than I'm used to but I think it is similar to other Singers that I have used at a similar price point. It is by no means super noisy. You need a sturdy table too. I had it on my dining room table and it shook a bit but on a very sturdy surface, it was rock solid. You would also probably benefit from additional lighting. The LED light was a bit dim for me.I think that for this price, as well as the typical list price of $250, it is a very worthwhile portable machine. I am very happy!Edit 11/26/11: I am still really enjoying this machine but had another thought as I have been teaching my 6 year-old to sew on it. I love the fact that this machine is not computerized as a backup, but it lacks a speed control that you can find on computerized machines. If I were teaching a child to sew, I would consider this feature since it is really handy. This machine does not have the super slow speeds that can be achieved with a computerized one. My daughter is still able to use this machine with ease but I find it much easier to have her use my computerized one on the lowest speed and the start/stop button instead of the foot pedal. She finds it more fun to use the pedal though, so she loves using this machine!

Not that you, the reader, will care, but I don't review any products. Without checking I think this might be the first. I am reviewing it to let you know that the machine I received worked long enough to beautifully hem one pair of jeans for my girlfriend. I tried to start a sewing project with it but about one third the way through there was a cracking sound and then it would never pick up the bobbin thread again. I read the manual front to back, did all the maintenance and troubleshooting it had listed. No joy :-(...call the help line, I am loathe to call a help line on a good day, much less when my 200 dollar sewing machine goes belly up, the Juki help line in Miami FL did not call back. DID NOT CALL BACK. 5 phone calls, 2 messages, an email. Nothing. I didn't get the warranty so it looks like I own a 200 dollar brick. Other minor complaints are that that it feels plastic and cheaply made. I suppose you could argue that it is portable and in a certain price range, but still. Your experience my vary.

I love, love, love, this machine. I see that the price has risen from the $114 that I paid weeks ago, but it is still a bargain. Its performance rivals machines at 4 or 5 times the price.I've been sewing for more years than I care to remember on everything from a treadle, to mechanical, and top-of-the line electronic and computerized machines. Yet, lately, I've been wanting a relatively inexpensive, reliable, lightweight, portable, 3/4 mechanical machine to take with me places. I've been looking at this Juki model as well as others for months. I couldn't make up my mind until a huge price drop convinced me to give it a try.I am not disappointed. This is a solid machine. The first thing that I noticed was the power of the motor. It is fast, goes through multiple layers of fabric and yet is soooo quiet. The footprint is small yet it feels solid and stays put even at the fastest speeds, which is amazing considering it weighs only 13 pounds.It has box feed on seven feed dogs which makes for very comfortable sewing. There are more than enough speciality and decorative stitches and while their quality is acceptable, they are not outstanding. This machine is for utility not beauty. Straight stitches are fine. The built-in needle threader is one of the simplest I've ever used.There is a 4-step buttonhole which leaves a lot to be desired. There's a way to fiddle with it to get an excellent buttonhole but beginners would not be able to suss this as easily as I was. Neither the manual or the accompanying video would show you either.I have this thing about "perfect" stitches. It bothers me when they don't form perfectly in the center of the fabric. I did need to fiddle with the tension (including the bobbin case tension screw) which was annoying but once completed, the straight stitch quality was quite good. I compared it to my Janome 6600P and they were identical. This kind of fix would be out of the question for a beginner.There is a manual in three languages (English, Spanish and Russian). It's okay but relies on pictograms rather than extensive descriptions or photographs. The video is basic but useful. It is clearly meant for absolute beginners but it does show and explain the bobbin winder and threading path in excellent detail.This machine is a good choice for a beginner, in a dorm room, for someone who does utitlity sewing, or for someone like me who just needs a portable machine to take places.It comes standard with only just two presser feet: standard and buttonhole foot so I purchased a set of generic low-shank presser feet for under $10, all of which fit perfectly and gave me a blind hem, rolled hem and zipper foot among others. At minimum, every gament sewer needs a zipper foot. The feed dogs do not drop but you can buy a cover plate if you want to try free motion quilting. The quality of stitching is okay but nothing special. The straight stitches are fine. Stitch tension can be adjusted but unless you are familiar with how to coordinate the stitch tension with the bobbin screw tension, it can drive you nuts. The dust cover is kind of a joke. You can either make your own or buy a cover or carrying case.Regardless, I'm hoping they drop the price again because I'm going to buy another as soon as they do.