Have you been sewing for a while now? Do you want to take it a step further and venture into embroidery? That’s great. Embroidery is an important aspect of clothing designs. It will allow you to exhibit your creative ability to create clothing masterpieces. Since you will be doing embroidery, you will need a good embroidery machine. Several reputable brands manufacture them and one of them is Juki.
Juki is a leading brand dealing with sewing machine production for both industrial and home use. It has created some machines that you can use for basic embroidery too. We will discuss some of the best Juki embroidery machines and highlight their features and capabilities. Then, you can select the embroidery machine that best suits your needs. But before that, let’s understand embroidery machines and their different types available in the market.
In a Hurry? Here are our Top Choices
What’s an Embroidery Machine?
Embroidery machines are versatile machines that used for creating unique patterns on towels, clothes, handbags, napkins, handkerchiefs, etc. In the past when there were no embroidery machines, it took a lot of time and hard work to create patterns on fabric by hand via manual stitch. However, thanks to the embroidery machine available today, you just have to place the material below the needle of the machine and the machine will do the job of creating the pattern on it. Using an embroidery machine, you can create unique and popular patterns for clothes.
Many embroidery machines available in the market offer a variety of advanced features. Most come with built-in embroidery patterns that can be edited to meet the requirements of the user. Some connect to the PC allowing you to download patterns from the internet and load them directly into the machine. Some embroidery machines have a USB port so you can transfer the downloaded patterns to them. These machines are great because they don’t limit you to the embroidery patterns built into the machine. You can also use embroidery machines to start your own home-based business and scale it with time.
3 Types of Embroidery Machines
Different types of embroidery machines are currently available in the sewing market. We can classify them into three categories, as follows.
Embroidery Machines with Built-in Designs and No Connectivity Feature
Most of the embroidery machines come with built-in patterns that you can use to express your creativity. However, some of these machines don’t have a connectivity feature – no USB port or computer connectivity. So, you are limited to use the patterns available on the embroidery machine. These types of machine are a good option for beginners. They are usually cheaper than those that have a connectivity feature.
Embroidery Machines with Computer Connectivity
Some embroidery machine can connect to a computer and you can transfer pre-downloaded embroidery patterns to the machine. These machines are usually more expensive than those that don’t have a computer connectivity feature.
Embroidery Machines with a USB Port
If you are professional embroiderer, then you should look for an embroidery machine with a USB port. These machines are similar to those that can connect to the computer. In this case, you just have to copy the designs from your PC to the USB and then connect the USB to the embroidery machine for transferring the designs.
The Best Juki Embroidery Machines
1. Juki TL-2000Qi
If you’re searching for a beginner-friendly embroidery machine, then add the Juki TL-2000Qi to your shortlist. The Juki Tl-2000Qi is a portable, lightweight machine that is made of aluminum die-casting. It offers a large working area of up to 23 inches thanks to the attachable auxiliary table. The Juki TL-2000Qi can handle large quilts and home décor with ease.
You will excel in quilting with this machine. It is ideal for dressmaking, tailoring, and other important projects. The Juki TL-2000QI is a very dependable machine and we haven’t had any complaints regarding needle breakage or skipped stitches. The stitch quality is amazing. Not many machines can compete with it.
People who are in the market searching for an exceptional sewing and quilting machine that will make their job easier would love the Juki TL-2000Qi. Each part of this machine is made of metal so expect great durability from it. The bed and arm of the Juki TL-2000Qi are made of aluminum which minimizes vibrations. Overall, the Juki TL-2000Qi is a great machine and you will find it useful if you intend to do beginner-level embroidery work.
Pros of the Juki TL-2000Qi
- Sturdy, reliable,and well-made
- High-speed sewing
- Great machine for quilting
- Has a comfortable and large sewing table
- Perfect stitches and tension
- Smooth sewing even at a high speed
- Pedal operation
- Automatic needle threader and automatic needle trimmer
- Can handle lots of work
- Thread tension adjustment
Cons of the Juki TL-2000Qi
- At certain speeds, the carrying handle will rattle
- The bobbin thread cannot be seen easily
2. Juki HZL-DX7
The Juki HZL-DX7 is one of the best high-end machines made by Juki. You can use it for basic level embroidery work and straight stitching, zigzag stitching, and free-motion quilting. If you want to create beautiful even stitches, you will love the Juki HZL-DX7 as it comes with a Juki box feed to ensure consistent and even fabric feeding. The box feed system also allows you to create perfect high-quality stitches no matter what types of fabric you are using.
The Juki HZL-DX7 makes the sewing more comfortable. With the presser foot lifting that can go to a maximum 14mm, you can handle multi-layer fabrics and heavy fabrics. Moreover, the stitch parameters and sewing speeds are adjustable. If you want to create your own designs, you can achieve this using the Juki HZL-DX7. With so many impressive features, this sewing machine is ideal for those who want to do sewing, quilting, and basic-level embroidery work. We would definitely recommend it to you if you are looking for a Juki embroidery machine to learn how to do embroidery. If the Juki HZL-DX7 had built-in embroidery patterns and computer connectivity feature, it would have been a good option for intermediate embroiderers.
Pros of the Juki HZL-DX7
- Fast and adjustable sewing speeds
- Box feed system
- Can create top-quality buttonholes
- Ability to create even stitches
- A detailed manual is available to help you learn the operations of the machine
- Large selection of stitches
- Strong piercing power
- Lots of accessories are included with the machine
- Lock stitch
- Reverse stitch speed
- Intuitive controls
Cons of the Juki HZL-DX7
- Doesn’t have any built-in embroidery patterns
- No automatic threader
3. Juki HZL-LB5100
If you are looking for a budget-friendly machine that will let you carry out basic-level embroidery work, then the Juki HZL-LB5100 should be on your shortlist. This machine will suit all your needs – both home and commercial sewing. The Juki HZL-LB5100 is a lightweight, portable, computerized, and compact sewing machine designed for both advanced craftsmen and beginners. It comes with 100 built-in stitches for knitwear and overlock. Decorative stitches are also available.
Apart from being powerful, quiet, vibration-free, and fast, the HZL-LB5100 comes with a number of sewing operations that will make your work easier and more fun. Thanks to the features included in this machine, you can complete your work in less time. Some of the features you will find incredibly useful include needle stop positioning, precise stop feature, efficient sewing function for seams, and an automatic needle threader.
Pros of the Juki HZL-LB5100
- This machine feels sturdy
- Runs quiet and smooth
- Great stitch quality
- Fairly light in weight so you can easily take it to classes
- Decorative stitches included in the machine
Cons of the Juki HZL-LB5100
- Not suitable for advanced embroiderers
- Doesn’t have any embroidery patterns built into the machine
- Doesn’t have computer connectivity feature
A Juki Embroidery Machine Alternative
As you can see, you can do basic embroidery work via all the Juki machines discussed above. These machines can be right for you if you are looking to get started with embroidery. However, if you are an intermediate or advanced embroiderer, then you wouldn’t find Juki embroidery machines useful since they don’t have built-in embroidery patterns and computer connectivity features. A better option for you would be to get an embroidery machine from Brother. One of the best embroidery machines made by Brother and available in the market is the SE400.
Brother SE400 Embroidery Machine
The BrotherSE400 is one of the most popular embroidery machines currently available on Amazon. Having a reasonable price, it comes with some advanced features to satisfy your embroidery needs. The Brother SE400 has 67 built-in stitches and more than 70 embroidery designs. Additionally, the machine allows you to custom program text in five different fonts. This is great if you want to customize your work.
The 4×4 inch embroidery area is sufficient for embroidery work. The connectivity capabilities of the Brother SE400 have impressed us. You can load .pen embroidery files directly onto this machine. Simply download these files from the internet on your PC and connect your machine to the system to transfer the files to it. We love the LCD screen on the Brother SE400 and it is hard to find a high-quality screen on a sewing machine at this price range. You can preview the designs on the LCD and edit them to meet your requirements. Without an LCD screen, it would have been hard to edit designs.
The Brother SE400 is great for embroidery work, but we would have liked seeing a larger embroidery area. The 4×4 inch area might not be sufficient for professional embroiders, as larger patterns usually require a larger embroidery area. However, if you often create small to medium sized designs, then you will find this space more than enough for your embroidery work. The Brother SE400 also features a one-touch automatic thread cutter that will cut the top and bobbin thread with ease.
If you can’t find a Juki embroidery machine that satisfies your need, then consider going with the Brother SE400. It comes with a reasonable price tag and the impressive features of this machine will make the embroidery work easier and more fun for you. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced embroiderer, you would love everything the Brother SE400 machine has to offer.
Another Option: If you are a professional embroider and want a machine with a larger embroidery area, then we suggest you go with the Brother PE800. The Brother PE800 comes with a 5×7” embroidery area which is sufficient for professional embroiderers who create larger designs.
Our Final Thoughts
We have discussed some of the best Juki embroidery machines currently available in the market. While Juki doesn’t advertise these machines as embroidery machines, you can still use them to carry out basic level embroidery work. However, models from Juki aren’t that popular when it comes to embroidery machines. You might be better off with an embroidery machine from a different company. Brother manufactures better embroidery machines than Juki. If you want an advanced embroidery machine with plenty of useful features, we suggest you go with an embroidery machine made by Brother.
We’ve discussed the features and capabilities of a popular and powerful embroidery machine – the Brother SE400. You could use it if you are a beginner or intermediate embroiderer. If you are professional embroiderer, then go with the Brother PE770. Since the Brother PE770 comes with a larger embroidery area, you will be able to take on more complex designs with ease.
