Brother PQ1500SL: High-Speed Straight-Stitch Quilting and Sewing Machine
The Brother PQ1500SL high-speed quilting and sewing machine is an electronic device offered for a mid-range price. It’s designed in such a way so you have enough space to work, being universal for most kinds of projects. This model also functions extremely quietly even at high speed, so it’s convenient for those who need a unit with low-noise operation.
Dimensions
The Brother quilting and sewing machine PQ1500SL has 7.9 x 12.6 x 19.3 inches. It weighs 33.4 pounds, so you definitely can't say that it’s lightweight. So, with its heavy-duty construction, it’s not designed for portability. However, this definitely contributes to increased stability which is very important for sewing at high speeds. Besides, such a weight makes the machine a lot more durable.
For large projects (with bulky quilts, for example), it has an extended working area of 5.7 inches tall and 8.6 inches wide.
Features
The Brother PQ1500SL is able to work at truly fast max sewing speed of 1500 stitches during one minute which allows for quick sewing and quilting, saving your time. The work with this machine is also fast thanks to the F.A.S.T needle threader hat enables you to work quickly without compromising on the quality.
The foot pressure can be controlled with a dedicated color-coded pressure knob. It’s convenient for working with thick, heavy, multi-layer, and difficult fabrics, giving you smooth, consistent stitch quality. The included removable knee-lifter gives the opportunity to lift the presser foot with your knee, so both of your hands will be free.
To provide a more convenient work, the unit supports a high-tech needle threading system: the auto needle threader is great for pushing the thread through the needle. The jam-resistant drop-in top bobbin lets change the bobbins easily.
This machine is equipped with an automatic needle up/down feature: the needle will stop moving with just one touch of a button. It’s also possible to program its stop position. The accurate thread tension can be adjusted using a special thread tension dial (from 1 to 6).
Thanks to the precise pin-feed system, the PQ1500SL works with a great range of various fabric thicknesses. The pin-feed mechanism is adjustable, allowing you to change the usage of feed dogs for a single pin that neatly extends from beneath the machine. This way, it doesn’t leave feed dog marks being suitable for many types of fabric, even special ones such as velvet, for example. The Brother PQ1500SL features 4 additional feed dog settings to give you even more fabric control.
The automatic thread cutter cuts both top and bottom threads neatly, with just one touch of a button. After this, the threads will be ready for the next sewing operation immediately.
Considerable advantage is the bundle of accessories, shipped along with the unit. You will get literally everything to start working on almost any project. In the box, you will find 7 feet, extension table (with a coil box opening), knee-lifter, machine cover, seam guide, feed pin and feed pin charger, fabric separator, 5 bobbins, needles in the case, spool cap, foot controller. There are also all the additional tools that you are going to need to assemble the machine: two screwdrivers (small and medium) and the lining plate screw. For the unit’s maintenance, the box includes a special cleaning brush.
Of course, such a number of accessories may confuse you if you are a beginner. However, the provided Brother PQ1500SL manual is very large, and there is all t information that a beginner user may need to start learning and working. It contains info about every part of the machine, about the unit’s maintenance (cleaning and lubrication), and problems that may occur during its operation. There are also the stitch samples, guide on how to change the needles and presser feet, basics about the machine sewing, and much more.
The device comes with Brother At Your Side Support which means that you will always have the opportunity to get free technical support via online, live chat, or phone if something goes wrong with your machine. In addition to this, there is also a great warranty of 25 years for this unit.
Design
The Brother PQ1500SL sewing machine goes in white color and is built very steady and strong while having a relatively simple design if you compare it to similar models. It has quite a minimalist interface which won’t make you waste too much time getting used to this machine, figuring out how it works.
There is an inbuilt telescopic thread stand. To make the working process with dark fabrics easier, the unit goes supplied with bright LED light. There is also an indicator lamp that shows whether the machine is on or off. The handwheel, power switch, power jack supply, and foot controller jack are located on the left side of the machine.
Conclusion
As this Brother PQ1500SL review shows, this model is suitable for some serious quilters/seamstresses. However, despite the fact that some settings and adjustments will require some time to understand them properly, this machine is still suitable for those who don’t have too much experience as it’s simpler than a lot of its competitors.
It’s also suitable for motion-free quilting designs and has a lot of critical automatic features so you don’t have to do a lot of manual operations, helping you save time and effort. The PQ1500SL comes with all the necessary accessories. It also has a large workspace which is enough for big projects and is suitable for almost all types of fabrics, even very delicate ones.