Juki TL-2200QVP
Kathy and I have had a couple of opportunities to play with the new Juki TL-2200QVP 18 inch by 10 inch (18X10) longarm machine quilting frame. It is amazing how awesome it is. It is really hard to go into all the deals so I will just mention some of the great features and why they are important.
Easy to Setup
The story with this new machine quilting frame and machine head is that together they make a really simple to set up and use quilting system. Many of the other manufactures have Handi Quilter or someone else build the machine head for them and the Grace Company make the frame, with the Juki 2200, Juki makes their own machine head. They used one of their tried and true industrial models and modified it to create this awesome quilting machine head. The Grace Company was asked to make the frame and they hit the ball right out of the park! I have seen machines on machine frames but until now I haven't see one that the machine and quilting frame worked so seamlessly together. This is the easiest Grace Frame to assemble because it is pretty much assembled when you get it out of the box. You won't have to spend hours trying to tweak it and get everything aligned. It will work right out of the box. You don't have to pay someone to come set it up.Who Will Want This Machine Frame?
This frame will not be for everyone. Everyone will want one but the cost will weed out those that just don't have the $9,999 that is costs to own one. Juki is rolling these out at a price point of $7,995 for the first 90 days after it starts shipping in March. After that the price will go up to the regular street price of $8,995. Will it be worth the money? You bet it will! With this Juki 2200QVP machine quilting system you will have 14 inches of quilting area. This isn't as much as quilting on a Gammill Classic like Kathy quilts on, but is still enough for most quilting situations at about half the cost of the Gammill. Kathy says that the Juki 2200 quilts very well and that it is very smooth to quilt with. If you love to quilt and have the money the Juki 2200 is for you. If you want to quilt professionally but don't want to spend over $10,000 then the Juki TL-2200 is a great place to start. It is really hard to get started quilting professionally but if you don't have to sell the farm, it is less stressful if you can get all you need at a lower cost.What is so special about the Juki TL-2200QVP
The Juki 2200 has a direct drive motor, which means that it doesn't have a belt that can wear out. It gives you better control over your stitches which makes your quilting look better. There are four modes you can run your Juki in:
- Cruise - When you stop moving the machine head when quilting the needle will continue to move up and down slowly. This is a stitch regulated mode so the faster you move the machine the faster it will stitch. You can move too fast and the Juki will beep to let you know so you can slow down. You will use this mode most of the time if you want your stitches even.
- Precise - This mode has the needle come to a complete stop when you stop. When you start to go again it takes off. This mode, like its name is precise, so when you are quilting really complicated designs that require you to move slowly this would be the mode we recommend.
- Baste - When you just want to baste your quilt you can set the stitch length and move across your quilt. This does a very nice basting stitch.
- Manual - If you want to quilt without any stitch regulation this is the mode for you. If you are use to quilting this way like Kathy, then it really is a nice mode because the motor just purrs. You don't get the sound of the motor going faster and slower. You can crank the machine all the way up to 2200 stitches per minute and go to town.
- Thread Cutter - The Juki 2200QVP is the only machine on the market that has a thread cutter. If you are used to using a thread cutter with your Juki 98E, 98Q, 2010Q, or 2000Qi, then you will be happy that the Juki 2200QVP lets you cut your threads as well. You can have it so that every time you stop quilting it will automatically cut your thread or you can push a button on the touch screen and it will cut your thread. Using the thread cutter leaves a tail on the back side of the quilt that is about 1/8 inch long. You can use a crochet hook to grab that tail after you are done quilting and bury it inside the quilt.
Thanks,
Lynn
KathyQuilts.com
