Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Brother Designio Series DZ1500F High Speed Straight Stitch Sewing Machine

Top positive review

In that respect it is kind of 'old school' which I enjoy and appreciate

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2015

My machine was an Amazon Warehouse buy at a drastically reduced price. When it arrived I set it up and the foot pedal operated backwards. Meaning when I pressed down on the pedal, the machine stopped...when I let up it took off at full speed! I did not want to send the machine back. I took it to a Brother dealer and we discovered that it had shipped with the wrong foot pedal. This is probably why it was a returned item. Once I had the correct foot pedal, it has operated perfectly. No problems with the tension. It is a manual machine that requires you to interact with it. In that respect it is kind of 'old school' which I enjoy and appreciate. It produces a very nice stitch. I've had no problems regulating the speed with the foot pedal. It is a solid sturdy machine. The extra features it has ( knee lift and needle down) were 'must haves' for me. The auto thread cutter was a bonus that I use all the time now and find it saves me time and thread. The drop feed dogs is very nice for free motion quilting. My only wish is that it had a larger bobbin capacity but I can live with it. For my needs, this is the perfect machine. I use it primarily for making quilts. For the home sewing enthusiast, this is the draft horse of sewing machines.

19 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

M. Carole

Antique and miserable bobbin mounting and automatic threading

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2017

Pros on this are the long platform and machine quilting is a breeze. Automatic thread cutter is super and the user interface is easy to change settings, and it's super fast!

However, this machine and it's bobbin thread the way my Mom's 1970 Singer did, and is incredibly clunky in two areas: mounting the bobbin and use of the automatic threader. I've learned the needle has to be positioned correctly to align the bobbin correctly, and the recessed insert is tiny and hard for even my medium size hands to get into. And the automatic threader just does not work for me as I can't keep the thread wrapped around the microscopic pin they provide that is intended to catch the thread.

If it weren't for the excellent free motion ability I'd return this, and I say this after happily using my 15 year old Brother NX250 and their 5234PRW serger for about 7 years as well. This one needs a redesign to modernize it.

6 people found this helpful

23 total ratings, 21 with reviews

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From the United States

Neva D.

In that respect it is kind of 'old school' which I enjoy and appreciate

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2015

Verified Purchase

19 people found this helpful

Helpful

M. Carole

Antique and miserable bobbin mounting and automatic threading

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

SLRush

Professional machine at an amateur price

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2015

Verified Purchase

I bought the machine used through an Amazon seller. It was a fantastic price, but I had to work a little for the savings. If I didn't know my way around a sewing machine it would have been a hopeless purchase. The bobbin casing area was completely dismantled and the tension knob on the front went flying across the room at first touch. These complications were not the fault of the machine itself, but resolving them had me in that land of questionable troubleshooting for awhile at first. To add to the learning curve, I put the machine on the Gracie quilting frame right from the get go and attached the Gracie speed control.
Two things that I learned that are of importance is that the needle MUST be in the highest position when putting the thread through the tension discs at the time of threading. The other was that the pressure foot must be raised during the process of threading. It's right there in the directions. This then is the difference in the world of having a machine on a frame with the sole intent of free motion stitching. My line of vision just wasn't the same as when I sat in front of the machine on a table. I would forget to put the pressure foot up for threading and then down again for stitching. Not putting it down makes a mess in the sewing, just as not having it up results in the tension not being right during the threading process.
I think the machine is fickle about thread, but I think that it is fickle because you need the right thread and the right needle for the fabric you are quilting. By right, I mean for the thickness and the speed that you are going. My project was not liking the spool thread that I started with. It was too flimsy. Coats and Clark dual purpose thread worked really well though. I had too thin a needle at first too. In general, the problems I started with were complicated by user error on top of them. I was pretty much doubting the machine and myself for a good portion of my first project, which I had intended as a test project and suggest that everyone start by practicing on something of not big value. When the top tension isn't right you end up in a world of elaborate thread nests on the back of the project that no one is going to want to sit and pick out, especially if the project is on a frame.
Those nests get elaborate because boy oh boy can this machine fly! I kept the Gracie speed control just a notch or two past medium. By the second half of my quilt project it all started to be a whole lot of fun. The machine floated with incredibly smooth speed. Stippling with this Designio is now in the top ten of the most cool things I've ever done. It was like driving a very high end car at a thrilling speed. It's a gas guzzler with a small tank though. The bobbin thread runs out fast. I picked up a supply of extra bobbins and I won't start my next project until I have a few bobbins wound and ready in reserve.
I use my regular old machine to wind the bobbins. I could be wrong, but it looks to me that on my Designio the bobbin thingy that moves over to secure the bobbin as it spins is out of line. It should fit in the bobbin space and doesn't. I don't know if this is all part of it being used because the top was smashed down when I got it. I had to use a screwdriver to pop the top back up. Being that the machine is on a frame and I'd have to stand up to wind the bobbins I don't really care that I have to use my other machine for this. It should also be noted that I bought the machine for just a little over 400 dollars. If I had paid full price for a brand new machine I would've sent it back.
The threading device is a little picky. It wouldn't catch the thread. I'm going to get thread that is specific for machine quilting next time. I think that might make a big difference.
I have included a picture. I've never done that before, so I hope it shows up well. It's a good demonstration of how completely adequate the harp size is for a typical queen sized quilt. The quilt on the machine is a few inches short of a queen, but you can see that there is plenty of room left. Maybe a professional shop wouldn't want the Designio, but I am feeling absolutely empowered with it.

18 people found this helpful

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Rhonda L. Gilbert

I have sewn on a Bernina for all of my life and was a little skeptical of the great reviews. It is a wonderful machine

Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2014

Verified Purchase

This machine is fabulous! I have sewn on a Bernina for all of my life and was a little skeptical of the great reviews. It is a wonderful machine...fast and easy to use. Sews beautiful stitches. I love the feed dog adjustment. Haven't tried the felting attachment yet but will soon.

Do not let the few negative reviews discourage you. I am a new quilter and wanted a fairly inexpensive machine with a larger harp area. I am so glad I found this one!

8 people found this helpful

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yoshiko suzuki

The repair shop told ma that the machine is dirty and dry

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2014

Verified Purchase

I got this machine on 3/21/14. My machine started making noises. The repair shop told ma that the machine is dirty and dry; therefore they need to clean the entire machine. It's less that 6 month and the repair cost is $119. Since this machine does not have the speed control, I can not use for free motion quilting very well. I'm planning to buy another better sewing machine for quilting, but I do not buy a brother machine.

5 people found this helpful

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dragon8401

I love this machine

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2015

Verified Purchase

I love this machine! It worked perfectly right out of the box. I am very impressed with the amount of power it has. I sewed through 15 layers of fabric that I had put pleats and folds in. I repaired my husbands jeans and reattached belt loops with no trouble. Put together some quilt sandwiches for free motion, went through the layers like butter. I can see how this machine could handle leather and canvas. I haven't tried the needle felting attachment yet, I've been having too much fun playing with different fabrics. I love, love. love this machine. It has brought the joy of sewing back into life.

5 people found this helpful

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LindaSew

Fast and Solid

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2017

Verified Purchase

Brother Sewing machines have been my favorite for years, this wonderful machine is just what I wanted, super fast, super solid, easy to use, beautiful stitch. Has the side load bobbin which I think gives the most consistant stitch.
This machine is a joy to use for Free Motion Quilting. The foot pedal is calibrated so you can sew slowly with ease.
I noticed some reviewers having problems with the automatic cutter leaving the thread too short, If you pull fabric towards back of machine after the cut, it works great!
This is a great machine to add to your regular home computerized machine (hopefully also a Brother)

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Andrea G

Held up alright for 2 years

Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2022

Had my machine professionally serviced after the foot pedal stopped responding - was informed that the PCI Board is damaged and a replacement is $300. I am disappointed that an electronic issue occurred so early in the life of this machine.

Mechanically, the machine has held up very well. But this problem has rendered it unusable until it is replaced, and the current maintenance cost makes me reconsider this model for this reason.

Helpful

it purred like a kitten and sewed like a dream

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2014

Verified Purchase

I am loving my new Brother Designio Series DZ1500F Sewing machine. I never even had to reset the tension, it purred like a kitten and sewed like a dream! I have not had the machine for very long but I know that it will treat me right for years to come. I am excited on starting on a jean quilt and when I do I will keep you abreast as to how it sews on layers of heavy fabric and seams. The machine is easy to figure out where everything is and how to use it. It's like riding a bicycle, once you know how to ride, it just gets better the more you use it.

9 people found this helpful

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Angela K Yates

Great Machine

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2016

Verified Purchase

I have lost count of how may quilts I have made on this machine now, it works so great I sew everyday. I just finished a 90X86 quilt and I had room to move with the generous space this machine provides. I have to oil it often but it's super easy to do and I am loving using it.

5 people found this helpful

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