Brother PQ1500SL High Speed Straight Stitch Sewing Machine Review

This is an in depth review of the Brother PQ1500SL High Speed Straight Stitch Quilting and Sewing Machine.

I will overview the following features and aspects of this sewing machine:

• The overall features
• Built-in stitches and buttonholes
• Presser feet and included accessories
• A video demo
• What users have to say (reviews)
• The pros and cons
• And the best current price

So let’s get started!

Introduction to the Brother PQ1500SL High Speed Quilting and Sewing Machine

The PQ-1500SL is a wonderful mid priced machine that belongs in your sewing arsenal if you are serious about quilting or sewing in general. What differentiates this machine from other quilting machines or other heavy duty machines is its speed. This is considered a high speed straight stitch sewing machine because it can sew up to 1,500 stitches per minute!

Many serious quilters compare this to their Bernina sewing machine and say that it performs just as well but it costs 10% of what a Bernina costs! Overall I think that is what makes this machine such a great buy. It has all the options and features that other much more expensive quilting machines have, but it costs much much less.

One nice feature of this machine is that the pin feed mechanism allows you to exchange the use of the feed dogs for a single pin that cleanly extends from beneath the machine, moving all layers of your quilt together or moves a delicate velvet without leaving feed dog marks in the nap

It has a throat space of 9″ x 6″ so you can comfortably sew a queen size quilt with this (it also includes a 12″ x 18″ extension table).

Let’s get into the details.

Overall Features of This Machine

Here is a general overview of the features and accessories included. Continue reading below for a more in depth overview of each of the features included in this table.

Name	Brother PQ1500SL High Speed Quilting & Sewing Machine
Photo
Built-In-Stitches	1, Straight Stitch Only
Buttonhole Styles	None
Needle Threading System	Automatic
Easy Bobbin Winding	Yes
Automatic Thread Cutter	Yes
Presser Feet Included	7
Presser Foot Pressure Adjustment	Yes
Feed Dog	Yes, 4 Settings
Quick Set Bobbin	No, Vertical
Max Sewing Speed (stitches per minute)	1500 spm
Stitch Width	7mm
Speed Controller	No
Automatic Needle Up / Down	No
Drop Feed / Free Motion	Yes
Built-In Quilting Stitches	No
Knee Lifter	Yes
Accessory Storage	No
Carrying Case	No
Machine Weight	29.8 lbs
Machine Dimensions	25" x 11.8" x 14.8"
Warranty	2/6/25 Year Premium Warranty (2 year parts & labor, 6 years electronics, 25 year chassis
Current Rating (from Amazon)	4.7/ 5.0
Current Price

Brother PQ1500SL Built-In Stitches

This machine is considered a mechanical sewing machine because it does not have any fancy built-in stitches, buttonholes, or computerized options. Because this is a straight stitch machine, it has one stitch and one stitch only. That would be a straight stitch, which is the standard stitch for sewing. This is your basic utility stitch that will be used for most of your project’s construction.

There are so many sewing machines today that have dozens of built-in stitches, but for decades seamstresses got along just fine with a straight stitch only machine.

What differentiates a straight stitch machine from a machines with many built-in stitches is the simplicity and power. They are awesome for quilting, and piecing, and they go through leather and several layers of material like butter.

What’s Included

• Straight stitch sewing foot
• Rolled hem foot
• Adjustable zipper foot
• Invisible zipper foot
• Quarter inch foot
• Sprint action quilting foot
• Walking foot

Accessories Included

• Knee lifter
• Accessory kit with needle packet
• Ballpoint needle
• Spool cap
• Fabric separator
• Feed pin and feed pin changer
• Metal bobbins (5)
• Seam guide
• Cleaning brush
• Screwdrivers (2)
• Spool cushion
• Power cord and Operation Manual

Video Demo

Here is a video showing the power of this machine in action sewing belt loops onto a pair of Levi’s denim jeans. If you’ve ever done this before with a machine that is not as powerful, you know how difficult it can be to sew smoothly through thick fabric. As you can see in this video, the Brother PQ 1500SL does the job with no problem

[video_youtube video_url=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/R_nDmajSLvI” width=”480″ height=”360″]

User Reviews of the Brother PQ 1500SL

Currently Rated 4.9 / 5.0 with 234+ User Reviews

Users of this machine rave about how powerful it is and many user say it “sews like a dream.”

Users were impressed with how quiet it is and others commented on how they utilize this machine more than their more expensive quilting machines.

Owners also commented on how substantial and responsive the foot pedal is, allowing the speed to be easily controlled at max speed or slowed down.

Pros and Cons of the Brother PQ 1500S

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PROS

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• It is very fast but you can easily control the speed with the foot pedal
• Large throat area so you can comfortably sew a queen size quilt
• 4 feed dog settings allow many different types of materials
• It is very quiet

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CONS

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• No indicator that the bobbin is empty so you could be sewing along even though the thread is out
• There is no walking foot with a hole to utilize a quilting guide

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Overall Summary of the Brother PQ 1500SL

I think this is an excellent machine for advanced sewers and quilters who want to invest in a high quality sewing machine that is fast! It is also a great option for those interesting in quilting or someone who wants a heavy duty machine that does straight stitch only because it sews flawlessly and it still has convenient features like an automatic needle threader.

The Brother PQ 1500SL is not the cheapest quilting machine but it is far cheaper than other machines that people say are a must have for quilters. Overall this is packed with awesome features and power. The PQ1500SL features an adjustable pin feed mechanism, 4 feed dog settings for maximum fabric control, knee lifter & bed extension table for quilting, full range foot pressure adjustment and an automatic thread cutter with F.A.S.T. needle threader – a time saving convenience. All of this and it sews up to 1500 stitches per minute!

It is very versatile and strong machine that can handle heavy duty jobs and thick materials.

Current and Best Price and Where to Buy

You can find the Brother PQ1500SL High Speed Quilting and Sewing Machine on Amazon.com and if you are a member of Amazon Prime you can get it shipped to your door in under 2 days.  [easyazon_block add_to_cart=”default” align=”right” asin=”B009SC1YA6″ cloaking=”default” layout=”top” localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” tag=”sewsavvy-20″] (I highly recommend this. I’ve been a Prime member since 2009. It has a myriad of benefits on top of the free 2 day shipping on thousands of items 🙂 )

If you want to save a little bit of money then look at some great machines that are under $500 as well as other heavy duty sewing machines for projects like denim jeans.

Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll do my best to answer. Happy sewing  🙂