juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

[grammaterry]

There is a Juki 98e with grace quilting frame on craigs list only about 150 miles from me. I don't know anything about the Juki machine. It says it has a 9 1/2 inch throat and that the tension has been replaced recently.
Is it a good machine. Is there a big learning curve to make it go. Does the tension have a lot of problems?

I'm sorry to sound so dumb about this but I've been sewing on a Husqvarna for 45 years. Can an old quilter learn new tricks?

How much should I offer them? Its been on the craigslist for 20 days.

[Jean Sewing Machine]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

It looks like a mechanical straight stitch machine. How big is the frame? Is the frame wood or metal? I have a 10' Grace frame ( metal) and can only do up to Queen size on mine. I looked for the Juki 98 on line at retail it sells for $995. Do you know how old the machine is? I use a longarm on My frame and don't have a Juki machine, although many here do have them and seem to really like them. So I can't give you any advice on this setup, but I'm interested in what you decide about it!

[Midge]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

I have the Juki TL2010q which is the current model of the machine advertised. Mine is not in a frame, though. I have it set into a SewEzi Grande table and it has worked out great for me. This is a semi-industrial machine, straight stitch only. It is very straightforward to run and the only thing you need to do is oil it very frequently, like every 8 hours of sewing, one drop of oil in each designated spot. It comes with some additional feet beyond the basic straight stitch foot. Two free motion feet, a zipper foot, a compensating foot. a walking foot. All are very heavy duty well made feet. It is a high shank machine. You can get other feet to fit it. I got a generic open toe fmq foot, a Brother brand 1/4" piecing foot, a smooth foot for vinyl and leather, and a clear foot with a guide. I almost never put on the walking foot. You just don't need it. I recently got a Westalee ruler foot to fit it, but just found out Juki now makes one. What else do you need to find out and I'll help you if I can.

[grammaterry]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

What would you offer for the grace frame (wood) and the machine? I have been reading reviews all evening and it seems like a good machine for FMQ. That will probably be all I do with it. I will continue piecing with my wonderful Husqvarna but know that I can't move a machine from the frame back to the sewing table. My big question is "what s it worth with the frame?"

[Jean Sewing Machine]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

Did the seller not name a price? I'd say $500 +\- would be a good starting price. You are right about not taking the machine off to sew, it would need to be dedicated to quilting. The other thing to think about is this. If you get the set up at a decent price and someday want a machine with a longer throat, you can always put a different machine on that same frame. That's how I was going to start out before I got a good deal on a true longarm and frame.

[grammaterry]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

Thanks Jean...my husband has asked what I would like for Christmas and I told him this would be nice but not to overspend. He loves me so much he would go into debt if he thought it would make me happy...it would not. So, I need to make certain that he knows that it wouldn't be fun to own something that I knew we paid too much for. So when he goes, I need to set some guidelines. He is being so thoughtful and reading up on these things and educating himself enough to go out and look.

[MRoy]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

I have the Juki TL2000 on a Grace queen sized metal frame that I use for quilting. The TL98e is an earlier version of this machine. They make a great straight stitch and the only tension issues I've had have been operator error.

The full throat space is 9 1/2" but keep in mind that as the quilt is rolled up in that space, the amount of space you have for moving the machine to quilt your design decreases. I use pantographs and the largest design I use is 4" high. I've just finished quilting a 80"x90" quilt using Hobbs 80/20 batting. By the time I made the last full pass across the quilt, the available throat space was getting tight...maybe 5". But I don't usually make quilts this large, so it works well for me.

You need to ask if the Grace Speed Control is included. You'll need that and it costs about $50 (I think) to buy from Grace Company. Good luck!

[dwil23]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

I bought a used "Lil Gracie" frame this summer with a Janome machine. Unfortunately, I have not had time to "play" with it. There are several different models of Gracie frames with different features. I would ask exactly which frame model it is.

Good Luck and let us know what you decide.

By the way, when setting it up, we ran into some problems. DD called the Grace company and explained that we had purchased a used frame. They were very helpful - couldn't have been nicer!

[sherriequilts]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

Another thing to ask the seller is did they buy this from the Grace company unfinished or already stained and sealed. It used to be that you could buy the frame unfinished at a much cheaper price and the company highly recommended that the buyer stain and finish the wood to avoid warping. I just took a quick peek at the Grace website and it looks like that is no longer an option .. but it used to be. I mention this as you live where I think high humidity is normal ... unfinished wood doesn't do well in high or no humidity. You don't want a warped frame. I'd also ask about the rails the carriage sits on ... have they ever been replaced? If it's the original rails, you probably will need to replace those..not terribly expensive but another added cost. Definitely follow another's suggestion about the speed control ... this is not a stitch regulator but replaces having to use the foot pedal to make the machine sew. Those are very specific to the machine. I would call the Grace Company on Monday and ask :
-if I need new carriage rails, how much would that cost?
-if I need a speed control, how much is that cost?
-if I have a speed control for a Juki 98 and I decide to get a Juki 2000 or Juki 2010 .. will the current speed controller work?
Depending on some of the answers you get from these questions, I think I'd only give no more than $500.00 ... if the seller is stating the tension has been replaced then the machine has seen a lot of sewing miles or wasn't maintained properly. You might in a few months or never (who knows) have to purchase an new machine. However, these Juki straight stitch sewing machines are loved by a lot of quilters.
I do think you would really enjoy having this set up especially for the amount of charity quilts you make. There will be a learning curve just like with anything but with patience you'll get it. I'd definitely go look at it , will be interested in what you decide
Sherrie

[GuitarGramma]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

There is a Juki 98e with grace quilting frame on craigs list only about 150 miles from me. I don't know anything about the Juki machine. It says it has a 9 1/2 inch throat and that the tension has been replaced recently.
Is it a good machine. Is there a big learning curve to make it go. Does the tension have a lot of problems?

I'm sorry to sound so dumb about this but I've been sewing on a Husqvarna for 45 years. Can an old quilter learn new tricks?

How much should I offer them? Its been on the craigslist for 20 days.

This is precisely the set up I have. And I love it.

I bought my Gracie Frame for $400 on Craig's List and, in a separate transaction, bought my Juki 98E for $500.

Make sure it's the Juki 98E and not the 98QE. The 98QE does not have the automatic thread cutter. That thread cutter is essential on the Grace frame.

My frame is not stained or sealed, which in this area has not been a problem. We do not have high humidity. But I also want to add that the wood frame is laminated wood, i.e. many layers glued together to make a very strong product. Do you ever hear on HGTV someone say, "We need a lam beam if we take out that wall." Well, "lam beam" stands for "laminated beam" and is a super strong beam that supports the weight of a roof or a second story. The Gracie frame is made from this laminated product. So the Gracie wood frame isn't like, say, a two by four that can warp pretty easily.

The biggest drawback to this set up is that you only get about 4" quilting space. Your completed quilt rolls up as you do row by row, and it runs through the harp of the Juki. So even though the Juki has a 9" harp, you only get to quilt in half of it. That was just fine with me for many years; I've just purchased a 17" Bailey Home Quilter so that I can do deeper quilting patterns.

My Little Gracie fits a Queen size quilt with an inch or two to spare. So don't think that there's any chance you could fit a King onto it.

The Juki is a dream of a straight stitch machine. It is such a workhorse. I love my Juki to pieces. As mentioned, it is a straight stitch only machine, but it does that straight stitch beautifully. There is no learning curve at all. Just dial in your stitch length and press the foot pedal. It always ends needle down, and there's a needle up-down button when you need it. As I said, the 98E has a thread cutter that can be activated by a button on the machine.

Bottom line, you're looking at a great starter system. Please let us know what you decide.

[grammaterry]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

well, I decided today its not exactly what I want. Sherries quilt made me take a step back because of the tension thing primarily. I don't have the resources to fix a machine and I have done a lot of studying and it appears that it MUST be oiled every 8 hours of use. This machine was purchased used and then had to be fixed and now they want to get rid of it. The frame has not been sealed and I do have a lot of humidity here. We heat with wood so we would have the dry winter and the wet summer. I'm sort of thinking summer would be a good time to get a good deal when people aren't sewing so much and of course not in a state of urgency with Christmas. I am also thinking if I save up, maybe I could get a new machine with a used frame then I would know that I could use it the rest of my life. Also the 9 inch harp didn't make my heart thump. Maybe you could tell me more about this Bailey machine.
I guess bottom line is, I don't know much about these straight stitch machines and I may have lots more choices if I do my homework. My Husqvarna is a workhorse with no fuss no muss....the tension stays set...it purrs.
I saw the mega quilter by Viking and wondered about it. I saw the Jenome and wondered about it. Now there is the Bailey in the mix and probably lots more.
You folks have been fabulous in giving me thoughts. Sometimes when you don't know the questions to ask you can't get the right answers. By the way...the wooden frame one finally named a price of $800 which was another turnoff.
So...I will keep looking...one will come along...God will drop one in my lap when its time.

[GuitarGramma]

Re: juki 98e w/grace quilting frame

When I bought my wooden Little Gracie, I was desperate to finish a quilt for my daughter as she left for college. I knew in my heart that there would be a Little Gracie for $400 on Craigslist. Sure enough, the day DD left for college, that Little Gracie showed up on Craigslist for $400. So it was not a well thought out decision on my part, more an urging of the heart.

I later found out that Grace makes a metal frame and a King size frame. But for $400, I'm really happy with what I have.

I think you're wise to stay away from a Juki that has had tension problems. I have never, ever, ever had a problem with the tension on my Juki. So a Juki with tension problems? That's a Juki to stay away from.

Thanks for letting us know your decision. I think you made the right choice.

Oh, and here's Bailey's web address: http://www.baileyssewingcenter.com/homequilter.html