My thoughts on the Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0 after one month

September 17, 2008 in Machines by emily | 204 comments

I purchased the Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0 on 8/12/08 and immediately started using it. I do all my piecing and binding on the machine (quilting on a Mega Quilter) and so far it has done 15 quilts and started piecing #16 (holy cow!). For reference sake, my previous machine was a Pfaff 2134. There was nothing wrong with the 2134 but since I was doing so much quilting, some of the features that the 4.0 had made it very appealing.

Pros

– Dual lights. Especially since I do so much of my sewing in the evenings.
– The presser foot can be controlled by the foot pedal.
– IDT (previous machine had it too but is definitely a plus if you’re coming from another brand)
– Needle down/foot up option. Great for chain piecing and appliqué.
– Large foot pedal. Never thought this would be a pro or con, but it’s actually really nice.
– I like the tie-off style of this machine better than the 2134.
– Low bobbin indicator. The 2134 had one but never worked properly.
– It cuts your threads for you!
– Dual tension plates for the needle thread and bobbin thread. If you’ve ever wound a bobbin without taking your needle thread out first, you’ll appreciate this!

Cons

– Sewing with the included 1/4″ foot is horrible.
Problems include:
– fabric is ‘eaten’ by the machine at the beginning of every seam
– fabric tends to veer off to the left (leaving you with 1/8″ or 1/16″ crooked seams)
– the machine has a hard time sewing over thick seams (think the middle of a kaleidoscope or while attaching binding strips when you have binding+backing+batting+top with seams). The IDT doesn’t help and you have to tug a bit by the back of the machine to get it over the hump.
– The top fabric tends to bunch and become unaligned with the bottom fabric (even with IDT).

– The bobbin is top loading. That alone isn’t really a problem but they designed the bobbin cover so that it could be removed without removing the free-arm part but in the process of that, they made a dip right before you reach the needle and it will flip all your seams that you have so neatly arranged (hopefully that all makes sense).
– Second thread spool holder is not nearly tall enough (that’s pretty minor but I usually sew with two spools of thread – one going to the needle and the second to wind bobbins so I don’t have to rethread every time.

Ok, so yes, those are some pretty significant cons.

The bobbin cover just downright annoys me. I’m hoping they’ll come out with a table that I could use instead (or perhaps a new free arm?). Honestly, I would have preferred to remove the free arm to change my bobbin than how they did it. When you have you seams set and then they go through this hump/dip they flip. Every time. This is however a deal-withable problem.

The stitching problems are just downright ridiculous BUT THERE IS AN EASY FIX!

Basically, you need to buy a new 1/4″ foot. I’m not sure if the style I bought 2 years ago for the 2134 are still made but I certainly hope so. Sean and I both examined the feet and cannot see anything that would make the foot that comes with the machine stitch so badly. But it does. I pulled the old 1/4″ foot off of my 2134 and all of these problems disappeared. Put the new foot back on and all the problems reappeared.

Some pictures (please pardon my linty cutting mat). You can click on them for larger versions.

The bobbin dip.

The styles are different but none of these changes seem like it would cause these problems.

I oversharpened the next image to make sure the stitches were visible (I should have used black thread!). In the fabric on the left the machine initially ‘ate’ the fabric and then tried to recover and the fabric veered to the left. I never could hold and guide the fabric to prevent this. The fabric on the right when straight in and has even stitches. Both of these were fed in in the needle down/foot up scenario since that’s how I feed almost all of my fabrics for chain piecing.

—–

So that’s that. Why does the foot cause so many problems? Really, I have no idea. I think it’s rather silly to have to buy an additional 1/4″ quilting foot for a quilting machine to stitch properly. But at least it’s fixable right?

Hopefully I got all my pros and cons in. I’m sure there are more so feel free to ask questions if you have any.

_______

UPDATE! January 2009

I’m still having a horrible time with this machine. Fabric is still being eaten, though not as often since I switched feet. It still doesn’t sew straight. Whenever I go over a thick set of seams (not huge, but quilts get like that sometimes, ya know?) it doesn’t go over them and the stitch length regularity is horrible. The thread cutter is horrible. It keeps telling me there are jams when there are no jams at all. I’ve disassembled everything when it does this and there is never actually a jam. You just have to sit there and press the middle button over and over until it finally lets you sew. So frustrated. I wonder who I could sell it to? I truly have buyer’s remorse at this point. I figured it just had some quirks and I would get used to them but this is totally unacceptable for a Pfaff at this price.

204 comments

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Stephanie on September 19, 2009 at 2:57 am

Sounds like you need to shop around for a good dealer nearby at least for servicing of your 2134. I’m lucky as my dealership are both friendly and fantastic-and did not hestiate to back me up. Infact they were delighted to have solid eand substantial evidence to present to Pfaff outlining the very same issues they had been reporting to them.
The technicians at head office in my country are looking at a copy of my report and samples as I type (or would be if they worked weekends!) and my warranty information has been verified by the dealership and transferred to the PTB-my samples and report went straight to the top and has got their attention so I am hopeful of a good response. The new thread tensioning part that is the first threading point that has been replaced on the store demo, appears to hold thread in place at full speed of embroidery stitches but whether it will for freemotion quilting is yet to be determined. Whether it helps to solve the thread cutting problems or not is unclear at this point. They are I think going to check it on my machine and we will then see. At least Pfaff here do appear to want to investigate if there is a problem so long as they have the evidence staring them in the face-so here’s hoping things work out.
Maybe what you need to consider Emily, is to contact Pfaff directly in your country or via another dealer who is interested in honouring the terms of their contract with Pfaff-and whilst you are at it report the dealership that refuses to do so. Then you might get a result that pleases you.
Good luck with it.
Stephanie on October 2, 2009 at 12:21 am

Thought you might like an update, I just got off the phone from the mechanic at Pfaff at head office-she received my machine yesterday and has been working on it all day today. There were several parts replaced and lots of adjustments. It sounds from what she said that thread early on in the piece ripped into the plastic and took out a slit more than 1mm deep that the thread has been catching in and shredding- just above the needle clamp thread slot. How this could happen neither of us knew. It has been affecting not only the stitch quality and function of idt but also its ability to fmq. Also there have been several parts replaced including thread cutter blade and parts replaced. Apparently the reason the cutters don’t cut properly is that we should be lifting the cutter out to the right and cleaning off a little black thread catching pad-looks like black velcro-of the lint. This is what catches the thread and holds it whist the cutter is working. Hmmm, she said there was a truck load of lint around the back of the cutter that of course I wouldn’t be able to see (and I dont’ think it was mentioned to clean there in the manual either)
The mechanic blamed the cotton thread I’ve been using and interestingly said I should switch to poly-cotton-which I do not use- because it wears the insides less than all cotton. The poly content stretches abit and allows the thread to move around more. She suggested if I wanted my machine to last that I should stop using cotton as the modern machines are not designed to take the wear and tear that cotton dishes out, from her perspective. If found this most interesting. She mentioned she couldn’t get further than an inch without shredding and was surprised I managed so far as I did (a few inches to a small area) and that technically the machine should not have been able to sew at all with what was wrong with its insides.

She also said she’s sending photos, my report and samples to the manufacturers with the suggestion to make a new thread guide for just above the needle clamp, inside behind the faceplate, to keep thread in place for the way that we quilters tend to work. She felt is was important that the manufacturers are made aware of the way in which the machine and the materials quilters will choose to use in the real world-as she said none of them would ever sew with all cotton in the technical dept. She hopes they will take this on board and come out with a new additional thread guide- this is one more beyond what has just recently released- that could be retrofitted to all machines-which should eliminate problems-and hopefully this feedback from my machine could result in some major improvements to the line.

There’s been quite a few adjustments inside and resetting the tensions to factory specs. She is testing the machine and so far its freemotioned half a metre square perfectly- but only with poly thread and their battings. She is going to track down some cotton and test sew on my samples and set the beast up to sew with what I use-and then it will be returned assuming it passes all its tests. Fingers crossed for me.
And I will say that the service and lengths she has gone to to trouble shoot and repair and explain her actions go beyond good service-I am very happy to say that at least in this corner of the world Pfaff’s customer service is great!
Aseel on October 3, 2009 at 1:45 am

Dear Emily,
Thank you for a well put informative blog. I have no experience in Pfaff machines, but recently purchased Pfaff Creative 2134 which I use for embroidery! I keep have this problem, the needle does not go through the bobbin case. And eventually the machine stops! Any idea how to resolve this?
Tammy on October 4, 2009 at 4:42 pm

Hi Emily, et all,
My Pfaff QE 4 (Big Bertha) quit on me today after I attempted to fmq two layers of denim with one layer of 100% cotton batting using denim polyester/cotton thread with a new denim needle, and a straight stitch throat plate. I say I attempted because all Bertha did was straight stitch the outside border on one 6×6 inch sample before it started having major thread jams in the bobbin casing area. I took the entire bobbin casing out cleaning everything with my miniature vacuum crevice tool. I put it all back together, tried plain 100% polyester thread in bottom bobbin with denim poly/cotton in needle thread, it sewed about two stitches before another thread jam. After two hours of trying different threads and cleaning out thread jams in the bobbin area, Bertha is now jammed in the bobbin casing area again this time with 100% polyester guiterman thread after sewing only two stitches on two layers of plain cotton. What a piece of junk this machine has become.

I am beyond annoyed. My Pfaff QE 4 is going back to the Pfaff dealer tomorrow. I so hope he will fix it. I’m going to ask him to go over the entire inside needle thread path as I suspect that my 100% polyester thread may have cut the plastic insides like Stephanie’s quilting cotton threads did hers.

This is my second Pfaff QE 4 because the first one had problems, now this one has problems. I have had this one back to him about two weeks ago when it jammed up in the needle bar area, I kept getting “main motor overload error please wait one minute” the machine was stuck in the middle of the needle up/down position it was set for needle down. Turning it off and on did nothing. Again I took apart the entire bobbin casing looking for thread or lint clutter… nothing. The Pfaff dealer took the top off and the machine unjammed itself. He blew some compressed air in the thread path area and sent me home with it.

There are so many features I really love about this machine, the large harp, the little thread cutter, the automatic pivot and duel lighting. The fancy stitches are gorgeous.

I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, I’m back to using my Husqvarna 500 and Pfaff 7510 both sew anything I can force under the presser foot.
Stephanie on October 12, 2009 at 3:43 am

Machine is back. So far so good, totally miraculous. A bit of tweaking needed to get nice stitches with sensormatic mode but it was simply lowering pivot height and adjusting tension abit.
I am putting it on trial for the next few months and deciding if to keep it based on its performance.
It had modifications done inside to remove damaged plastic interior and new thread guides inserted, plus cutting device parts replaced.
The new ones coming out of the factory have had modifications made already but you may need to if your machine was one of the early released done-and it should be done through the dealership network and not cost a cent.
Julie on October 14, 2009 at 2:19 am

Hi everyone…..I was looking to purchace the QE4.0. But after reading this blog, I doubt I will…..Like others I tend to do a lot of work on my machines.
I have worn out a few over the years & tend to keep one good one for detail work and another, more worn out one for standard work.
Unfortunately I need a new good one….any ideas??
I would like some basic embroidery stitches, as well as the standard ones….and a large throat area for quilting….
Dianne on October 14, 2009 at 6:08 am

I was interested in purchasing the PFAFF Expression 4.0. My concern is encountering problems described in this blog. If this machine was problem free, it would be my first choice.

I’m considering a non-computerized machine to avoid problems. Has anyone worked with the PFAFF Select 4.0? Would the (Mechanical) PFAFF Select 4.0 be suitable for quilting and occasional clothing? Has anyone encountered problems with the Select 4.0?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
Tammy on October 26, 2009 at 11:48 am

Hi Diane,
I collect sewing machines. I had the Pfaff Expression 4, for a brief time. It is an awesome sewing machine. A real workhorse! Mine was a Tipomatic, identical to the Expression 4, only the name was different. I sold my Tipomatic to my neighbour and sewing buddy Barb. She just loves it. It sews through denim and leather without any grief at all. It makes lovely free motion quilting stitches, button-holes and stretch stitches. This machine is perfect for quilting and sewing anything from fine sheer fabrics to leather. I made booties for my dog out of polar fleece and leather with velcro fasteners with this machine. What it does not have, that I missed is a low bobbin indicator and needle up/down setting.

I sold it in March 2009 when I decided to buy up to the Pfaff Quilt Expression 4 (Big Bertha). If you look above on October 4, I posted on this blog cause Bertha had yet another breakdown and was back in the shop. I got my Pfaff QE 4 back on October 13. My repairman told me it just needed a minor tune-up. He adjusted a spring and tweaked the needle bar position. He got it sensor free motion quilting on two layers of jean weight denim with 100% cotton batting in between and not skipping any stitches. I am sewing a quilt with QE4 right now. So far, knock wood, Bertha is performing beautifully.

Good luck with your search.
Tammy on October 26, 2009 at 11:59 am

In the first paragraph of my post above I had a Pfaff Select 4 not an Expression 4 which I sold to Barb. Ooops sorry for the blunder.
Dianne on October 26, 2009 at 7:30 pm

Thanks for your response and feedback Tammy!
Jocelyn on October 31, 2009 at 6:17 pm

Heavens! I don’t think I’ll touch the Expression 4.0…..how about the
Pfaff Expression 3.0 ? I think she’s my deal.
And please…..don’t use cotton thread. Yeah, right.
Sounds like they should just have traded you a new machine for
you little lemon. Hope you got all the burps worked out.
Right, back to the 3.0….any ideas?
Stephanie on November 1, 2009 at 3:49 am

My machine is fixed and working well but I am selling it. I wouldn’t personally be touching the quilt expression 3.0 as it has the same shaped chassis and internal threading system which can be problematic. I believe new ones released from factory are now modified with an additional thread guide added inside where it cannot be seen, along with the new threading point at the first one after the button/mushroom, which should eliminate or reduce the problems many people have had. I think its dodgy to tell quilters not to use cotton thread-and I’ve never come across a machine until now that was not happy to sew with cotton. Now it has been modified it sews well with cotton, poly or embroidery threads from rayon or poly- but the head mechanic at Pfaff said that cotton will chew through the thread guides faster than other threads, with heavy use- I wonder what sort of metal they are using for this to happen? I think that’s abit dodgy too.
I prefer to use a brand that can sew with anything I throw at it and for me it is Bernina.
As for me I am glad it is now sewing but it looks very much as if we are moving states for work so I’m selling off anything that I absolutely do not love or need badly.
Helen on November 16, 2009 at 8:30 am

I am baffled by my QE4. On two days ago it would not sew invisible thread in any way! It just kept making horrible birds nests on the back of my quilt. I got so frustrated that I actually went and did some housework – so you can see how serious things were.
Today I have had another go – got to get this quilt finished. It is sewing like a dream. The only difference is that I have left the reel on invisible thread upright instead of laying it down as usual. I can’t see why this makes a difference but it does!
Once I’ve finished this quilt I’ll try metalic thread upright and see if it will do that.
Am I expecting too much? I wanted to quilt with metallic thread on a table centre I had made using the heat proof batting. It could manage a straight stich but anything fancy sent it completely haywire. I have no trouble doing this when I use ordinary batting, perhaps this was a bridge too far?
Deb on November 29, 2009 at 6:12 pm

Goodness! I wish I had read this blog before ordering my QE4. It arrived in Dec. 2008. I live in rural Texas and have a stroke and can no longer drive. I paid a good price $1700 for it from a shop that does not carry Pfaff. I like it for piecing, but not for quilting. I am an experienced FMQ, but although the machine/bobbin are threaded correctly, when i choose stitch 51 and manually drop the feedogs, needles break like crazy. I cannot even get a table runner done! I do not have another machine. Any thoughts? I am at the end of my rope and my husband reached his 6 months ago. I had it serviced/updated while on vacation and it worked fine. I have not been able to use it to FMQ at all.
Angela on November 30, 2009 at 9:10 pm

Have been reading all the information contained in this Blog, it’s a lot to digest!

A year ago I bought the Pfaff Expressions 2.0. I love it, but at first I had to learn my way around some of it’s quirks. The thread bunching —on the the 2.0, using a leader cloth takes care of that every time. If you try to start to stitch on this machine without fabric totally under the needle, it’s quite unhappy, the thread jumps off the take up arm and the bobbin throws up.

Yes, the 1/4″ foot they supply with these machines is useless. I solved that by buying the Pfaff 1/4″ foot with the spring guide on the right. No problems since getting that. Also, I got a plate with the single hole instead of the wide hole, and have had no problems with fabric getting shoved down in.

Since it’s just about my 1 year anniversary, I am entitled to a “free” (yah, right!) upgrade to a 3.0 or Quilt Expressions 4.0. I can give them my one year old 2.0 plus $700 and get the 4.0. I am sorely tempted. The features that appeal to me are the auto up and down on the foot, the thread cutters and the alphabets (the 2.0 has none). It’s a lot to pay for some convenience, but I sew ALOT every day, I love to sew. I have multiple sclerosis and sewing is my great big joy in life. I don’t do free motion quilting so don’t give a hoot (right now) how that feature works. All of my sewing is on quilts. I do quilt my baby quilts by hand and some times by machine. Larger quilts I send to a long-armer, as I do not have the strength in my hands to handle the large roll of fabric.

I am going to park myself at the shop and practice every single thing that I normally do. Lumpy seams, curves, etc., quilt sandwiches, and really put the machine through it’s paces.

But, I need advice, please HELP ME DECIDE!!! Thanks!
Deb on December 1, 2009 at 4:39 pm

Personally, I do not think all the bugs have been worked out on the QE4…. I do love it for piecing though. I am thinking about getting a used Juki for quilting… Anyone having trouble with Jukis?
Angela on December 1, 2009 at 9:01 pm

I went and sewed a whole bunch on the 4.0 at the shop today. Walked away thinking there’s just too many things on it that can go loony. Also, I didn’t like not being in control of the foot and also didn’t like the auto thread tension. My Pfaff dealer told me that machines being shipped “soon” will have a modified take up arm to stop the thread from jumping off, but that problem is easily dealt with by using a leader cloth.

I’m going to upgrade to the 3.0, which won’t cost me that much money and will give me the alphabets, which I’d like to have for quilt labels. It sews like my 2.0, which I am very happy with.
Angela on December 6, 2009 at 11:29 am

Hello all,

Checking back in to let you know that I upgraded to the 3.0 and could not be happier.

Once I figured out the quirks on my 2.0, it became a machine I simply loved to sew on. Those quirks also exist on the 3.0 and so I’m ahead of the game and also have the two alphabets.

For others that may be looking at the Pfaff 2.0 and 3.0 I’m going to save you some time here by giving you the solutions to the small quirks.

1. 1/4″ foot–the standard Pfaff one does not make good enough contact with the feed dogs. I bought (on E-Bay) the Pfaff 1/4 inch foot with the spring guide on the right. Love it. Other people have mentioned that the “old” 1/4 foot works better also.

2. If you start to sew on this machine without good tension on the upper thread, it will jump off the take up arm and throw up thread. There are two ways around this: always use a leader cloth or always start holding the threads from the bobbin and spool to the back.

3. Get the throat plate with the single hole. You need it for piecing, it makes going over bumpy seams and lumps much smoother.

4. Thread. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could use any old thread we want, bought on sale for as cheap as possible. But, why spend hundreds on fabric and a machine and then use lousy thread bought at JoAnn’s for $1.00 a spool. The Pfaff machines will sew with any type of thread, HOWEVER, I have found that my Pfaff runs best using Mettler Silk Finish 100% cotton. My Pfaff dealer/fabric store is aware of this, so offers a 30 percent discount on Mettler thread to anyone who has bought a Pfaff from her. She has found that the machines being used with Mettler are in her shop rarely for fixes and adjustments.

You may view this as a large list of quirks. However, every machine has it’s quirks. Once you figure them out, you’re golden. Since I have figured out the Pfaff quirks, I’m pleased as punch. The Pfaff machines are known to be long-living work horses.

I would stay away from the 4.0. I can raise and lower my own foot and cut my own threads just fine, thank you very much.
tammy on December 10, 2009 at 10:35 pm

I have posted on and off this blog a few times. I am coming up on my 1 year anniversary of owning my Pfaff QE 4 purchased March 2009. I named her Big Bertha because she is so big. Bertha and I have a love/hate relationship going.

I love the duel lights, auto thread cutter, presser foot lifter, the large harp and all the fancy stitches. When sewing properly Bertha is the star of my sewing machine family (I own and use nine other machines).

I hate thread nests in the bobbin area, broken top needle threads and the fact the bobbin cover plate flips my seams when not using the extension table. I mean really? this is a quilting machine, I certainly expected someone to test sewing over seams before the machine was put on the market. Fortunately for me, my Pfaff dealer’s shop is two blocks from my office. If I have to I could drop Bertha off daily for service.

So far he has
replaced the thread guide which completely eliminates the thread jumping out of the take up lever.
reset the default tension setting because it was too low.
adjusted springs and stuff inside to fix the bobbin thread nests.
replaced the first QE4 I bought with the demo I tested.
adjusted the needle threader so it works now
unfroze a software glitch when the machine wouldn’t do anything “motor overload, please wait one minute” error message.

Currently, I am quilting a queen size tie-dyed batik card trick variation quilt for my daughter. I have pieced the whole thing on Bertha and plan to quilt it all with it as well. I had some trouble with thread breakage when using the blanket stitch. I resolved this by lowering the automatic tension. I continue to sew with my QE4 because I do not want a different brand or model. This Pfaff is exactly what I wanted in a quilting sewing machine. I just want it to sew consistently well without having to troubleshoot my machine every time I use it.
Angela on December 12, 2009 at 10:21 am

Hi Tammy,

You have certainly had a time of it with “Big Bertha”! I do not do any free motion quilting with my Pfaff, so I’m not going to run into those issues that arise when quilting. I use a Singer 301 to do any quilting I’m going to do. It’s the machine I sewed on for years before getting my Pfaff, and is the one I learned to quilt on so I’m not going to mess with something that’s working for me.

Yes, the approach to the bobbin cover is annoying, the way it flips those seams. I’ve gotten used to it and have eliminated any problems by pinning and also by lifting the fabric slightly as it approaches that spot. It’s become automatic to me when feeding in a row of blocks, so it’s not a big issue. I’m a pinning monster anyway, so this works for me.

Am off to the sewing room to spend the day finishing off Diagonal Madness, a Kaffe Fassett design. I went to a workshop of his in Tennessee in October and this is the pattern we worked with. Lovely.
Karen on December 18, 2009 at 3:12 pm

I’ve been reading your notes because I’ve been considering purchasing a QE 4.0. Definitely rethinking. I have a longarm, so wouldn’t be doing any quilting, but would do clothing constuction, piecing, and decorative work on the QE 4.0. With that in mind, what do you recommend?

Also, several have commented about working with metalic threads. I have a longarmer’s tip for you all. Lightly mist your metalic threads with water, put in a zip-lock style bag and store it in the freezer. You will be surprised how much better the thread will serve you. Also, use the same metalic in the bobbin. Believe it or not, that makes a difference.
Stephanie on December 19, 2009 at 2:20 am

Well Karen, I found that once the thread guides were replaced and the machine overhauled it sews everything but freemotion quilting very well. Once the feed dogs go down it still doesn’t matter how much tension and presser foot height/pressure I alter, it still skips stitches with both the freemotion feet provided regardless of needle type and thread combination. But, if you have one with the new thread guides in it, I think you may find it might be safe for garment sewing, embellishment with decorative stitches and piecing so long as you are prepared to put up with some quirkiness which you will have by no doubt have already read about here and elsewhere. And don’t expect to be able to do nice sewing with feed dogs down without some issues with this machine line. If you don’t want some risk factors I’d steer a mile clear of it if I had my time over.
Personally I wouldn’t recommend buying one given my and other’s experiences, but it should do what you want. However, I think if you want a large harp and decorative stitches there are other machines better performing and better tested in the marketplace already working beautifully which do not report any of the issues this series has.
IIf harp size is less important I think you’d be hard pressed to beat a Bernina Aurora, if you want 9mm stitching the 450 would be lovely otherwise the 430 or 440 depending on which feet you would like. And, these machines all freemotion quilt wonderfully, no quirks and no complaints. They are solid as an ox too. If you have deeper pockets and want serious size, then look at the 820 or if you want to embroider ever, the 830 Bernina.
Diane on December 20, 2009 at 10:38 pm

Hi,
I purchased my 4.0 last Spring and had a serious auto accident the first week in May, so I have not been able to use it as much as I would like. I have had most of the problems you have described. I plan to order the straight stich plate which should help with the fabric eating. I had the machine in to be looked at last week because it was skipping stiches in free motion. The adjusted the bobbin tension and suggested I use the sensormatic foot for free motion. They also gave me some Mettler thread to try. Both worked very well and I competed a small project with great results. The reason I bought this machine, was because I envisioned doing lots of free motion quilting with all the beautiful verigated thread available, now I doubt that will happen. I’m working on an Amish Puzzle ball for my new grand daughter and I’m using my nice little Pfaff Fashion machine. No jaming, no thread breaking, no fabric eating. My husband is so excited that I bought the 4.0 and I hate for him to know that I’m using my other machine, which is only 2 yrs old.
Chele on December 24, 2009 at 8:24 pm

I have been researching machines to get a few more bells and whistles. I am using a Janome Decor 3050 for quilting and thought I wanted a Pfaff. I’ve also looked at the Babylock and the Janome 6600. I had made up my mind on the Janome 6600 but now I’m rethinking. I love the piecing I do on my Janome. Is anyone out there using the 6600 and do you have any feedback for me?
Debbe on December 26, 2009 at 8:12 pm

I bought my QE4.0 last Dec 2008. I love it and it too is having the cutting problems and jamming up the bobbin.It seems that when I rethread it then it works for a while then it will do it again.My auto threader the little hook that cathes the thread to go into the eye has walked off .This is not my first Pfaff.I have 7570 so the thread guide is not new to me.This is the greatest machine for quilting.I’m going this week and talking to my dealer and seeing if they had anyone else bring in this machine.It took 9 months for any of these problems to appear.That’s why I looked up problems with QE4.0.I’ll also inform them after I hare what they say, that I have read blogs to see what’s going on with others like you Stephanie which I have also read on Pfaff-Talk.I’ll print up what you have said what they have done to yours Stephanie.I like the Pfaff’s for quilting but if this is how Pfaff is now.This just might be my last.It’s a shame to ruin the name of Pfaff as this company has.I’ll post whay I get told.
Wendy on December 31, 2009 at 4:00 pm

Oh dear Oh dear! Have just received QE4.0 for Christmas. Should I not even take it out of the box? I have been using my 30 year old Pfaff 1222E and thought it was time for an update.
Meg on January 1, 2010 at 8:02 am

Wendy,

I’ve got a Pfaff 1222E and upgraded to the QE4.0 in May ‘09. It is a big jump, a lot to learn, but you can do it. I strongly urge you to take classes for this machine; does your dealer offer them? I hope so. Remember that learning a new ‘thing’ takes time, and your most valuable tool is _patience_. Allow yourself the time to learn and you’ll be rewarded.

Also, be sure to use an uninterruptable power supply for this machine. It will help to eliminate some of the computer quirkiness due to uneven power, which can damage your new machine.
corina on January 4, 2010 at 1:20 am

I am glad I was directed to this website (thanks Tammy). After reading everyone’s comments on the QE4, I was well prepared when I went sewing machine shopping. I tried the Janome 6600 but I just didn’t like the huge feet and having to unscrew the foot each time I wanted to switch. Tried the Elna, Brother Innovis and I don’t remember what else. When I tried the QE4 I felt like I was home. Loved the feel, the quality of the stitches and the sensor fmq is heaven. I agree that the 1/4 inch foot is poorly designed. I have a creative 2124, so I use the 1/4 inch foot from that machine and it pieces very well. I will, however, try it with the regular foot and just move the needle over slightly. Hopefully my love affair with this machine will last!
Debbe on January 16, 2010 at 10:42 pm

Stephanie ,I told my dealer of what you had Pfaff do with your machine and now I can’t find where I read your post.Could you please post what Pfaff did to your machine.Because my dealer would like to read it. I would great appreicate it very much.Debbe
Stephanie on January 19, 2010 at 1:35 am

Hi Debbe,
Basically what Pfaff did to the machine was to replace the thread guide- which is a standard upgrade now on those machines- it is the first thread guide to be threaded. And, they made a thread guide out of wire and attached it inside just above the needle clamp- I can almost see it if I look straight down in the open slot that the thread runs in. After of course they had cut out the rough patch and sanded the edges smooth inside. My machine had a burr that had caught in the thread I think but the mechanic thinks it was my choce to use cotton thread in the Pfaff that cut the plastic- I think it is a very silly thing to say a machine cannot take cotton thread- well it would seem it cannot if it has not been designed with enough thread guides in the right place to keep the thread from shredding the insides. I was told after a phone call to the designers at HQ by the mechanic who worked on my machine that they are now modifying all Pfaffs of this series off the production line with this additional thread guide as they must recognise it is necessary for good stitch formation and machine function. And, they replaced the velcro part of the thread cutter and put a new thread cutter blade in also. Then she adjusted the tension settings inside the brains of the computer to make it more tolerant of thicker quitling threads- and I mean by this standard 40 weight cotton quilting thread designed for machine use- the weight that is probably most commonly used by quilters everywhere.
Now..what I have found is it sews very nicely but will STILL not freemotion quilt well with either the freemotion sensormatic or the spring freemotion quilting foot- without skipping stitches. Grrrrr. And sometimes breaking thread. I once had some small area of stitched out quilt without trouble but it has thrown stitches every single time I’ve adjusted and worked with it in freemotion modes since the initial test on its return from the mechanic.
Not impressed. It seems to do all other sewing tasks fine however. I will probably sell it when I have the opportunity to someone who makes clothes alot or someone who doesn’t want to drop the feed dogs and sew. It would be fine for those things. My machine does not actually do all of what it claims to be capable of doing so I’m selling it-when I get around to organising how best to do it.
corina on January 21, 2010 at 12:29 am

Hi stephanie. You must be really frustrated and I’m sure you’ve tried everything, but just in case…

I had trouble with freemotion with the sensor foot. I used a topstitch needle and the single throat plate and that helped but still had some issues until i lowered the pivot height. I didn’t realize that you could lower it in the negative. When using regular cotton fabric and warm and natural batting the height is at -2. With very thin fusible batting between cotton fabrics I put the height at -3. Even when using the regular freemotion foot I lower the pivot height. So far I have had no more trouble with freemotion quilting. Hope that helps and good luck.
Debbe on January 21, 2010 at 10:43 pm

Thanks Stephanie , for the information.Now my dealer will know what is going on if they haven’t got any infor from Pfaff. I haven’t talked to him since after Christmas and they were in the middle of a remodeling of the 20 yr store. So I’ll be going real soon.But now I have your info.Thanks again. Corina,I’m going to try what you posted about freemotion mode.I’ll post real soon on my luck.
tammy on January 22, 2010 at 9:35 am

Cross your fingers and toes… Big Bertha my QE 4 is fixed! No more baby sewing machines for her. LOL

After I finished Shannon’s quilt on Heidi (Husqvarna 500), because Bertha refused to fmq, I took her back to Wayne (Brandon Sewing Centre Pfaff dealer). This time when he used the blanket stitch the top thread snapped for him three times in five minutes! He tinkered around and adjusted the feed dog height. Bertha has been sewing like my Husqvarna ever since, even nylon and dare I type it.. yes.. I dare Free Motion Quilting! Yippee… doing a large victory dance around the room!

Wayne took the plastic covering off Bertha and used a little flashlight to show me the inside of her thread guides and guess what? No plastic in any of the thread guides on Bertha… all metal. I asked him about thread, he said any kind of cotton, nylon, polyester or rayon will be fine.

In Brandon, Manitoba Canada, I can buy Schmitz and Inspire that Wayne recommends or Klasse at Fabricland he does not . I have a large variety of each brand. Some of my sewing machines came with Singer, Pfaff and no name brand needles. Wayne thought part of Bertha’s woes could be attributed to the Klasse needles. Since I use all brands of needles I did not believe them. But I was surging a drapery weight lined cotton bag last week, it was too heavy for my surger and I snapped off both needles. I replaced them with Klasse surger needles, they look identical to Schmitz needles. My surger would not sew, it was skipping stitches and making a horrible clanking sound. I rethreaded, took the needles out and but them in again, still clanking around and skipping stitches. So I put in two universal Schmitz needles, the surger is happy again.

Hello Corina, I am delighted that you treated yourself to a Pfaff QE4. I hope you will enjoy a long and happy love affair with her.

Hello Emily, thanks so much for starting this topic and hosting these comments. Have the issues with your QE4 beeen resolved yet? Probably the main reason I am happy with mine is because my local Pfaff dealer is so excellent. I have two years of free service warranty. I know Wayne could fix yours, it is just too bad that you live so far away. With reference to your Pfaff 2134 and the bobbin light staying on, I would try cleaning out the bobbin area with canned air or a mini vacuum.

Happy sewing all.
Stephanie on January 23, 2010 at 4:07 am

Hi Corina,
Thanks for your suggestions. However I tried different needles and lowering the presserfoot height at every setting it has with the sensormatic foot before being sent off for assessment with the head technician of Pfaff in my country, and after its return. It was possible to set it up and get it sewing after a bunch of snapped threads and skipped stitches by making the usual needed adjustments, and it then sewed in fmq for about five minutes before the problems began to recurr. The first time around I tested an a massive variety of factors that affect fmq to rule out reasons as to why it was failing to quilt well. I tested over 200 variations of needles, threads, batting, and presser foot heights in combination with different tension settings which took days to do. It wouldn’t sew properly due to several reasons which are apparently And a functioning machine doesn’t need to have a straight stitch throat plate on to successfully fmq. I have spent quite abit of additional $ for accessories to try to fix its problems and so far all of them have failed-and I don’t want to waste more money on a lemon.
It does everything well except fmq with either foot, (which was the reason I purchased it, to quilt) regardless of where I set the tension or pivot height and trying different thread and needle types has not solved the ongoing problems. My dealership suggests the easiest way to deal with the machine is to sell it and they are not very impressed to see the way it is behaving with someone who knows how to troubleshoot the machine correctly…I hate to think how others who don’t know what to do will get on. I am sure there is some part that has poor design or defect for there still to be problems. I’ve never seen the like of a machine in 30 years of sewing with a range of brands and pricepoints and hope I will never again.
Now all I need to do is find a buyer who will be happy not to fmq, because otherwise the machine works well.
Janell on January 23, 2010 at 7:29 pm

wow girls high five thanks for all the good info. So here is my question if anyone has the time to answer. I am a spoiled baby that learned to sew on an expensive top of the line Pfaff about 30 plus years ago. I am 43 and have used a crappy ole singer since ive been married. I have suffered enough and i think i owe it to myself to get into the 21st century at least before i die. I need some help! Would anyone suggest a good machine preferably a pfaff as i do love the IDT feature that even the ancient one of my moms had when i was two. I mostly do home deco, some tailoring and fussing with remakes for friends and quilting is my new passion since there aren’t little kids around to get in the way anymore. I would love to find a good sturdy machine that will sew when i sit down to it without hrs of monkeying around to get it to work….plse send suggestions for hopeful sewer returning to the craft after a long time away.
DeeAnn on January 26, 2010 at 10:09 am

Hi, Janell,
Each of us has different criteria for the “perfect” machine, and with the number of options available, I have found this website helpful, as there is a section on sewing machine reviews of practically all brands and models.
http://sewing.patternreview.com/
I have had a Bernina Artista 170–more machine than I needed as I never branched into embroidery and the machine is now outdated for that function. It also has seemed finicky lately. I wanted something I could piece and machine quilt with that is solid and sturdy, so I bought a Juki TL98Q–I love it, but it does only sew a straight stitch. However, it has needle up/down, thread cutter button on the foot pedal, knee lift, reverse lever, and drop feed dogs options. It is a mechanical machine, so stitch length, presser foot pressure, and tension are all manual adjustments. There is a learning curve with the tension, but if you sew a sample of the fabric weights and thread you plan to use, you can set it before you start a project. I paid $650.00 for mine new. (I paid 2800.00 for the Bernina 10 years ago). I have several friends who have the Pfaff QE 4.0 and are having similar problems as those expressed here. Some had older Pfaff machines they swore by. Some were die-haard Bernina users but now are looking at other brands. I have other friends who own the Janome 6600 and love it, and if I were to look into a new, multi-stitch, multi-function machine, I think I would also try the Baby Locks, particularly the Espire. I will not ever pay for embroidery functions I won’t use, but I have been spoiled by some of the finer functions available. Companies are getting better at offering some of those functions in the medium-priced machines. (It used to be you had to spend $2500 plus to get needle up/down, drop feed dogs, etc.) I would suggest reading as much as you can find, narrowing it down to a few that have the features you want or need (in your price range), and trying them out to make the final choice. Manufacturers each have websites which list their machines and features of each, making it easy to compare. I hope this helps.
DeeAnn
Stephanie on January 27, 2010 at 12:06 am

Hi Janell,
I’m going to suggest you go and test drive the Bernina Aurora either 430 or 440 depending on your budget and whether or not you want BSR.
They are sturdy, dependable machines that have been around for a while and are often the machine of choice for alot of quilters. The stitch quality is amazing, they are not fussy temperamental creatures and I can say I have never had a moment’s tantrum or problem from mine- vastly different to my experience with my Qe4. And they make the most beautiful range of automatic or manual buttonholes with no fuss. And now, Bernina are the only European made machines left in the mainstream domestic market- and are not at the mercy of stockholders demands- HV and Pfaff have closed the Swedish factory and all machines in their range are now going to be made in China.
Oh and if you want a 9mm stitching machine look at the 450 Fashionista Bernina- they might even have the deal still of My Label for free included.
The other machine to consider is the 1008 Bernina mechanical or any of the 900 or 1000 classic range- wonderful workhorses with legendary quality. Even a classic 830 if you can find one in good condition wouldn’t go astray from consideration. My Mum’s 1010 is an awesome mechanical machine and every time I use it when visiting it is a joy- not too many bells and whistles but it oozes quality with every stitch.
You can probably tell, I have become a massive Bernina devotee-they’re the only brand I’ve used or many different sorts, that has not thrown up trouble of some sort during a variety of projects- and I do alot of sewing.

If you absolutely must have idt and want to have a Pfaff why not look into the select range, or the 2000 series Pfaffs? I will say the space in the harp is less than in the Bernina though…so be aware of you want to quilt larger pieces harp size can matter.
Alternatively search for something in the used category depending on what you need.
If you only need straight stitch you can find some great vintage machines out there-even the newer semi industrials do a halfway decent job of quilting if you get one with a front or end loading bobbin, not a top loader.
Have fun finding your machine according to your needs.
Janell on January 27, 2010 at 5:01 pm

Thank you so much girls…..funny you all love your Bernina’s! Contacted my Home Economics teacher from Highschool and the lady that did all of our schools sewing (and my best friend from highschool’s mom) and all of the towns alterations and bridesmaid dresses. Guess What? They ALL love and swear by Bernina’s! Sooooo back to the drawing board. Have to put the B’s back into the mix!. So far I am in agreement with you DeeAnn about all that embroidery “stuff” i seriously doubt that i will ever use any of it much. With that said i have almost entirely ruled out the Husquavarna/Vikings seems that is the big feature on most of the mid and high end models and just makes the price go up. I do so love that IDT..from the Pfaff’s.have been very frustrated with my piecing quilts without that function…or what i remember of it. Perhaps user error?:)
So i have narrowed my importants to this:….i would like some of the antique looking quilting stitches, IDT, needle up/down. and Yes Stephanie…the Harp size is definitely a plus….the H/V’s seemed to have the best of these so far. Thanks for the advice i will go back and do some more do diligence!
Shirley on January 28, 2010 at 7:03 pm

This is the most informative site I’ve found on Pfaff QE4 and I really appreciate all the great info. Got mine new in July 09 and found this site. Almost regreted having traded my old pfaff 2042 in when I read all the trouble so many were having, but had no problems until I started fmq with QE4. Shredded threads galore. Kept trying different remedies suggested on this site and finally (thanks to Corina’s pivot suggestion) I’m having great success with fmq. Thanks girls for all your help!
Nancy on January 28, 2010 at 11:23 pm

Hey you Bernina lovers out there! I love my Aurora 430! I had a ball sewing everything for my new grandson’s nursery. I do, however, have a problem with the embroidery module. After doing Christmas embroidery it started this thing of showing a thread breaking when the thread has not broken. The machine beeps, stops, and I must start it again about every 20 stitches. Help!
Tammy on February 2, 2010 at 8:20 am

Hi Nancy,
I do not own a Bernina yet. I collect sewing machines and enjoy trouble shooting their glitches. Here are some things to try:

take out your bobbin, bobbin casing if it comes out and throat plate. Clean the area out thoroughly either using canned air or a mini-vac attachment, as I suspect there is a bit of lint or thread annoying a sensor underneath. If that doesn’t do the trick try blowing canned air or using a mini-vac in the upper thread path. If that still doesn’t reset the sensor, change the needle and the thread. Turn the machine off and on after cleaning and before trying to sew again.

Good luck.
Stephanie on February 5, 2010 at 2:02 am

Hi Nancy,
I’m betting there is some fluff or thread setting off a sensor too. I had that happen once with a different machine and nothing but a trip to the mechanic would fix it- the fluff was not within reach for me to remove it.
Turning on and off your machine may reset it, but be sure to pay attention to where you are with your embroidery design to be able to resume at the correct place when you are done- its irritating to have to guess

If its been a while since you had a service you should take it in anyhow for a good ‘deep cleanse’ by the mechanic. Its amazing how even a small amount of fluff in the wrong place can cause all manner of grief.
The other thing is when you go in with it- get them to check it is not a glitch in the computer’s ‘brain’. It may be there are updates available for your machine which may also be worth finding out about.
corina on February 6, 2010 at 3:00 pm

Well looks like my qe4 is going to be a problem child too. Was getting skipped stitches using the sensormatic fmq and thread is constantly jumping off the takeup lever. I have the newer style thread guide so that isn’t the problem. I think the problem is that when i stop with the needle down while fmqing i get a huge loop of thread hanging in front of the machine (probably about 3 inches of slack). The dealer says that’s just the way they are. Do any of you gals have the same issue? I can’t believe they would make a machine that would have a giant thread hanging in front. Tammy, do you still have issues or is Bertha truly fixed?
tammy on February 7, 2010 at 10:35 pm

Hi Corina,
I do not ever recall having three inches of thread forming a huge loop hanging in front of my machine. I have never had the thread jumping off the take up lever. Not once. My troubles were the upper thread snapping when using the blanket stitch (feed dogs up), as well as fmq and sensormatic free motion quilting (feed dogs down). I always quilt using the needle down feature. My Pfaff dealer adjusted the feed dogs in December 2009, and my QE4 has been sewing flawlessly ever since. Oh I also dumped all my Klasse needles for Schmitz ones.

Since we are both in Manitoba, I suggest you have your Pfaff dealer phone Wayne at the Brandon Sewing Centre. Knock wood, Wayne and I believe that Big Bertha is truly fixed.

BIQ = buddies in quilting
corina on February 12, 2010 at 11:54 pm

Thanks Tammy and glad to hear Bertha is fixed. My Pfaff dealer has been very good. Brought it in and was back to me within 48 hours. The fmq is wonderful after a bit of tweaking. No more skipped stitches. Still have a bit of excess thread but a new take up lever is on the way. One of the reasons I bought a Pfaff is for the service the dealer here provides. Hopefully the take up lever solves the last issue I have with my qe4. I bought the yarn couching foot set last week and have been having a blast with it! In January I got the quilter’s toolbox. Piecing is wonderful with the newly designed 1/4 inch foot. They’ve widened the left side of the foot so the fabric no longer pulls to the left.
tammy on February 15, 2010 at 9:31 am

Most Excellent News Corina! I’m so glad you have a good Pfaff dealer, it makes such a world of difference. Happy sewing.
sandy on February 15, 2010 at 4:55 pm

I’ve just bought a Pfaff 4.0 & it’s still in the box since I am giving my sewing rm a total make over. Now these informative tips make me wonder if I should keep it. I do special occasion sewing & figure if a machine has trouble on COTTON, what’s it going to do on CHIFFON etc?? If I do decide to try fmq I should be able to, since this IS a specialty quilt mach. Hopefully some of the quirks have been worked out in the last yr? Anyone know? Thanks for all the info, Sandy
Stephanie on February 21, 2010 at 3:54 am

Sandy you won’t know how your particular machine handles chiffon until you sew it. Mine sewed large amounts of silk early on before it developed problems. Just because it is a machine marketed as a quilting machine does NOT mean or guarantee it will give good results, or in the case of mine, even after apparently ‘fixing’ and the installation of new thread guides. Marketing claims are one thing and actual performance of the machine quite another. Mine doesn’t do anything with the feed dogs down well, embroidery or quilting. No other machine I’ve ever owned or sewing with has behaved in the ways this beast has…and I am in the process of selling it.
I just need to find a buyer who doesn’t want to fmq!
I have to say I’ve come across way more people who have serious problems with their machine in different countries around the world than found ones who are happy. So be aware when you make your decision whether or not to open that box and perhaps talk to your dealership about it-maybe they can help you out if things do not end well.
Emma on February 21, 2010 at 10:38 am

I’ve had my machine about 8 months now, and am happy with it. It took a long time (several months) for me to feel this way though. I think mostly it just takes a LOT longer than I could have imagined to get used to FMQing on a different machine (even though I was previously using a slightly older Pfaff, and expected it would be similar). I really wanted to use the sensormatic foot, but found it hopeless. I use the spring foot from my old Pfaff, and now have no trouble with thread breakages.

The machine definitely has some quirks which I believe should have been ironed out before releasing it. Even though I’m satisfied now, I should have been delighted with it from the word ‘go’ and was severely disillusioned for several months. I’m planning to contact my dealer about some of the fixes, but here are a few things which bug me: I’m sick of the thread jumping out of the take-up lever, I hate it taking an extra stitch after pressing the reverse button before changing direction, it doesn’t thread smoothly through the take-up lever (it catches on the casing) and the needle threader doesn’t work anywhere near as well as the one on my 10-year-old Pfaff.

But, I love the extra space (one of my main reasons for upgrading) and it does FMQ much more smoothly than my old machine.

I’ve long been dedicated to Pfaffs, but after this, if the Bernina 830 were in my price range, I would seriously consider that. I think Bernina are crazy not to make their Aurora range with the extra space to the right of the needle!
tammy on February 22, 2010 at 2:38 pm

Hi Emma,
On March 5, I will have owned my Pfaff QE4 (Big Bertha) for one year. I love the large harp, duel lights, thread cutter, the 9 mm decorative stitches and automatic presser foot lifter. This machine has all the bells and whistles I want within my price range. I am mostly happy with it because my Pfaff dealer is excellent at servicing it. My needle threader didn’t work well either, until he adjusted it now it works as well or better than on my 1995 Pfaff 7510. I never had the problem with the thread jumping off the take up lever, but I did have the problem of the top thread breaking when using the blanket stitch and fmq. In December 2009, my Pfaff dealer adjusted the feed-dogs and it appears to be much better. The top thread did snap twice last week while straight stitching (hemming a nylon shower curtain). Pfaff has come out with a new take up and I am on the list to get one as soon as it is available here.

I have to agree with Stephanie that the Pfaff QE 4 is more far problematic than it should be. In hindsight, I should have waited a few years before buying it so the bugs were exterminated.