Juki MO-654DE Pearl Series Serger

My advice, search on Youtube for this video - "MO-654DE Preparing the machine" by JUKI® HomeSewing SG. It does a pretty good job at showing you how to thread the machine and also how to set it up. This is my first serger. So far, I really like it. Once it's threaded, this machine is very nice and easy to use. Things to know: 1.) It is NOT easy to thread. It took two people two hours to thread it and that is with the step by step video. The manual they give you is basically useless to learn to thread it. 2.) It comes threaded, and they say you can just tie a knot to the new thread. Trust me, the knots will get caught and jam up your machine if you just start sewing. That is what happened to me and why I got to experience the joys of threading this machine on day one. Next time I will try to pull the threads through by hand if use the tying method. 3.) Although it's small and lightweight, it's not really portable. You would have to take the machine apart to safely transport it, thus threading it, and rethreading is not easy.

Threading is still difficult, but not so bad once you practice. But it is a well made machine and works like its supposed to at a great price. This company clearly makes the Bernina machines, and I sold my fancy Bernina to buy this and came out ahead. As for threading, take a Craftsy serger class online and you'll do fine. No need to spend a lot of money on a fancier machine. No cover stitch, but I've read others buy a separate machine for this, which makes sense. A separate machine would be less expensive then a high end machine with all the bells and whistles, and cut down the complication factor. That's why I sold my Bernina, it was too complicated. Someone else said, sometimes you just need a pickup to get the job done. No need for a Porsche. This is the machine. I did buy this model because it can handle heavier fabrics then the model down from it, so that's a consideration as well.

I have never had a serger, so this is all new territory. But WOW! So cool, and this little machine is great. It's super quiet for a serger, as many of them are quite loud. This one is not loud or annoying and could be used after the family is asleep as it's about the same noise as a sewing machine. It comes pre-threaded, so if you have heard all about how sergers are difficult to thread have no fears because this one is threaded so that you can simply tie your cone thread onto the pre-threaded and then run it through the machine. No need to un-thread. It took about 15 mins to open, set up and figure out. I sat down immediately and made my first serger project on it, which was a serger thread catcher (video on YouTube) and the machine worked great and the thread catcher is awesome. It's always nice to get off on the right foot. The machine has a differential feed, which affects how much ruffle you put into the fabric. It has a small footprint, about 10 inches wide and it comes with a cover and many little accessories. Juki provides great accessories with all of their machines such as a full size screwdriver, tweezers, machine covers, spool holders, and machine oil and other goodies. The stitches are beautiful and the knife cuts like butter. I am just beginning my journey with a serger so I have a lot to learn but this machine is so affordable I am happy to have added it to my arsenal of sewing goods. I hope to be able to make some knit clothing for the grand baby due in a few months.

For my first serger, I went by reviews. This was rated top on consumer reviews for beginners. I took my chance for a heavy price. I like it! The speed it whips through edging is amazing. I whipped out 16 baby bibs in a matter of minutes. However, it took me nearly two hours to set it up... the instruction manual is not helpful. But I finally found a great YouTube video from Juki HomeSewing SG that walked me through the threading (Video named "MO-654DE Preparing the Machine" by user Juki HomeSewging SG on YouTube) and then I was on my way! I would highly recommend anyone new to threading a serger to look up that video and watch it. Made life so much better and seriously, LOVE THE SERGER.

This is my fourth serger and my favorite so far. I have been very impressed with it from the minute I took it out of the box. Since I am already experienced with sergers, setting it up was a breeze, but with the color-coded threading schematic, I expect it would be just as easy for newbies. The lower looper on many sergers is a terrible pain to thread - this one was not at all. I also found the tensions very easy to figure out, as well as the differential feed. This serger feels intuitive to me: not dumbed-down and flimsy like the very basic serger I once owned, but not enormous, bulky and beyond my skill level like the two industrial sergers I used to have either. It is the perfect middle-of-the-road choice: sturdy and dependable. When I received it, I immediately put it through its paces with some bulky layers of wool. With patience and proper technique (i.e. not going too fast, or pushing/tugging on the fabric which can lead to snapped needles and throwing your serger out of time), it chomped right through without missing a stitch or jamming the knives. I feel confident sewing just about anything with this serger - well, anything that would fit under the presser foot, that is. Comparing the stitches this machine makes to ones made on previous sergers I've owned is cringe-worthy - this serger's stitches surpass them all in uniformness and tension. When I need to re-thread, I tie the new threads onto the old ones and run them through. This does not work with the first two threads, as they break off when they reach the needle. Fortunately, it is the third and fourth threads that are harder to do by hand, and the tied threads sail right through those. It is also easy to clean the lint and dust out when necessary, with the included little brush. My only qualms about this machine are 1) it is noisy (much noisier than my other sergers, even after being oiled), 2) there is no receptacle for trimmings (I keep a trash bin placed underneath it at the edge of my desk to make up for this), and 3) the instruction manual includes so many languages on each page that it is difficult to read. I feel it would be better to have multiple manuals included that were each printed in one language, like I have seen done with other electronics, considering that the individual information needed for this serger is not all that much. I wound up going online to find a free PDF of the manual, printing it out, and blocking out all the other languages with glued-on pieces of paper so that the small block of English I needed was all that was left on each page. None of these three things make this serger not deserve its five stars, though, so they are small and petty annoyances. **EDIT MAY 2016** After owning this serger for a year and a half and using it somewhat heavily, I still love it. It still works splendidly. All I need to do is keep it clean, keep fresh needles in it, and oil every few months. I replaced the lower knife after 1 year, as I've been accustomed to doing with previous sergers. The left pin on the needle plate broke off somehow, so rather than pay $50 for a new needle plate (seriously Juki?!), I turned the pin around and Superglued it back into its groove. No problems since. I've noticed that the covers seem flimsy - I sometimes accidentally knock them open just by brushing up against the serger while sewing. This makes me wonder if the catches will eventually fail and I will have to figure out how to jury-rig those, since the manual says the serger won't function with the doors unlatched. We will see. Otherwise this has been a splendid purchase and I continue to be impressed.

I owned the Brother 1034D for a few years before deciding to upgrade. I sew for a few baby apparel companies and regularly need to serge knits. To my great surprise, the first Juki sent to me actually broke within 3 days. I did nothing out of the ordinary -- it just clunked and the loopers got out of whack and wouldn't pass each other. Amazon quickly sent me a replacement, which has been working fine so far, fingers crossed. I can only compare it to my Brother as I haven't serged with another model, so that's the perspective I have. Pros: - Fast and smooth - Superior stitch quality to my Brother - Sews thin and thick fabrics well -- passes over thick seam intersections no problem. Stitches are nice and flat even on single layers of thin drapey fabrics. Cons: - More tedious to thread. - Threads are exposed instead of "laid in," so I'm always catching stuff on them accidentally and getting them tangled up - Differential feed adjustment doesn't work as well. On my Brother I can crank up the differential feed and tension to gather fabric really tightly. The highest differential feed ratio on the Juki still stretches out knit fabrics, no matter how I adjust the presser foot pressure. On some projects I still use my Brother for this reason. - Presser foot lever is around the back left of the machine, which is harder to reach as a right-hander. I prefer the Brother's lever that is on the right front of the machine.

i wanted a serger and wanted to get one locally so i didn't have to wait. I was going to get a jernome/babylock but my mom wouldn't let me since she used to serge for a living and said Juki is the best brand out there. My aunt who lives in nyc said my cousin's got her this and said it's very smooth. I can see why! :) its also a great size and can fit in a corner anywhere! :) SO happy i finally got it! :) Update: i edited to add pictures :). Also uploaded a video for how to thread on youtube...<https://www.youtube.com/user/ilovehandmadestuff> the video is armature, but gets the point across :) I support this machine 100% i just made a printer cover and converted a pair of old jeans to a skirt :-D YAY! now i just need to learn how to read patterns and I'm set.

Well, I haven't actually used the machine yet because I'm still learning how to operate it but it appears to be in perfectly new condition! Shipping was super-fast and I can't wait to get to sewing! Thank You!!!

I am brand new to serging and haven't used a sewing machine in years but am looking for new hobbies now that the kids are out of the house. I think this has been a very good choice for me as a complete beginner. The manual takes some close reading but all that you need to get started is in there as long as you have some patience.The machine arrived threaded but in my enthusiasm I tried to serge a bit of fabric and promptly broke the threads because of course they were secured to the pressure knob on top and not attached to spinning spools of thread! (Ha ha! as I said, I really am a beginner.) After some careful research, I succeeded in threading it again but, like one of the one star reviews on here, couldn't get it to make a seam without turning up the tension knobs and then it still wasn't right. I decided it was probably me rather than the machine and went online where I found the brilliant suggestion to check that the thread was fully in the tension discs and indeed a couple of threads were gently draped around rather than in the coils. With that simple adjustment and back to the recommended tension I produced my first beautiful four thread overlock seam. After the initial learning curve, threading this machine is relatively easy. I found a threading chart online because the ones in the book (and inside the machine) were way too small for me to see what was going on, On closer inspection there is a slight difference in the last bit right before you thread the needles between the online chart and what's in the manual. For this bit, the manual is correct: both needles' threads share the last loop. I also purchased The Complete Serger Handbook by Chris James which is helpful, but actually becomes more helpful as you get more familiar with the machine. Next, I followed the manual and finished a rolled hem on a dress I'd thought I'd try to shorten by hand and had had pinned up for over a year. It took me just a few minutes and I am thrilled! Next I bought my first Craftsy class: Beginner Serging with Amy Alan. This probably should have been step one. I am finding it really helpful and am enjoying learning some of the many things the serger can be used for. It's fun to experiment with different fabrics and make notes of all the tensions for each. This machine takes universal sewing machine needles #11 and can take #14s for heavier fabrics. I haven't tried heavy fabrics yet but read that you're supposed to put the bigger needle on the Left. Perhaps you can replace both with the #14s but that will be for a later experiment. You can buy extra feet for this machine, but I don't think I'm going to need those for some time because the foot it comes with does all of what I need for now. All in all, I couldn't be happier with this purchase. I am really having fun with it.