I bought this because I really wanted a machine with a larger throat than most machines could give me, so I could quilt bigger quilts.
In addition the large space (11") it has many cool stitches, an automatic threader, needle up: down function, it automatically stitches in place and cuts your threads and it also adjusts everything according to the fabric you are using, something that works brilliantly.
It was really bloody expensive. Like a MacBook Pro expensive. It weighs a ton. It's huge. It feels solid and it's easy to use. The menus are a doddle to navigate.
But. There's some huge buts. Because it's so massively complicated and computerised it's super sensitive. It is supposed to sense when the bobbin is nearly empty and warn you. So mine went through a phase of telling me the bobbin was empty when it totally wasn't and also not telling me at other times that it had in fact ran out. So back to the shop she went. Turns out the sensor was blocked by fluff. Now I service and repair sewing machines but this lady refuses to be looked at. You can take the stitch plate off and the bobbin case out but that's it. Anything further down into the body cannot be reached. I did try to open her plastic bowels but after an hour of gentle wrenching and pulling I had to give up. So she can't be cleaned by anyone other than a dealer which is very very annoying. I bought her from the fabulously helpful and lovely Coles Sewing centre in Nottingham so she has to be shipped there whenever she needs grooming. Which is therefor expensive and I lose her for a few days.
Anyway she got her deep clean and was happy for a while. Then she got all difficult about cutting threads. Which is one of the things I love most about her. So back to the shop she went again. Especially as she also suddenly completely lost tension and therefor wouldn't sew. She had her tension system replaced as well as her cutting motor. Considering she is by then just 18 months old I'm not happy.
She came back but still will only cut intermittently :-(. IT was the summer holidays by now and I just didn't get round to emailing the shop to let them know it still wasn't working well. When I did in October the chap from the repair shop sent me a new knife. So now it cuts maybe 75% of the time. Which is still not good enough for an expensive machine.
But not having used the machine for about a month and having switched my attention to a donated New Home machine which is great but has tension problems, when the new knife turned up and I put it in and turned the Husqvarna back on, well I just fell in love again. When you tell her what material you use she adjusts the tension and pressure foot pressure and stitch length. Her stitches are beautiful. Her spare bobbins and feet are store on board which is super handy. She handles everything from leather to jersey without missing a beat. She is heavy and has piercing power. She doesn't let herself be dragged on to the floor.
So all in all I love her but she's a tricky lady. I feel still that a machine that cost that much should not play up as often as it does. She's unpredictable and a bit of a prima donna. But when she works she is the best.
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