Sewing Machine Review: Juki Exceed F400
Welcome to this sewing machine review for the Juki Exceed F400, a small home machine that typically retails for under $1000.
Originally I got this sewing machine as a backup to the Juki TL2010Q so when my main machine needed to be serviced I would have another machine to use. Imagine my surprise when I ended up liking this little Juki F400 so much that it became my main machine for quilting!
This machine has many features that I love with only a few downsides, and is one of the few sewing machines I've found that could be used for piecing AND quilting.
Watch the video review below to learn more about this sewing machine:
More Details about the Juki Exceed F400 Sewing Machine
Now for the specs you've been searching for! This is a home sewing machine and it's on the small side so the machine itself is only 17 1/2 inches long. Despite it's small footprint, it has an 8 inch harp space, which is really quite spacious for a machine in this size and price range.
This sewing machine weighs just under 22 pounds which makes it quite reasonable to haul to class or retreats without too much trouble.
What I love the most about this machine
What surprised me the most about this machine was the wide range of amazingly designed feet. The piecing foot, darning foot, and walking foot are all perfectly designed and connect to the machine very securely. This is so important for precision patchwork piecing because if the foot wobbles, so is your seam allowance!
I did have to pick up the open toe darning foot separately from the machine, but it was completely worth the extra expense. Having a well designed darning foot is one of the number one keys to mastering free motion quilting. Part of the reason why free motion seems so hard is because there's so many terrible feet making it more difficult than it needs to be!
This darning foot has an open toe, very narrow metal prongs on the base so you have a wide view of the needle. The foot is designed to hover over the quilt, not hop, and you adjust the height using the screw on the top. I love being able to fine tune the height of the foot so I can lower the foot to slightly squish the quilt surface for more control when needed, or lift the foot slightly to stitch over bumpy seam allowances.
Special Features at Low Cost
One of the most surprising things about this machine was how many features it comes with for the price tag. Depending on the deal you get this machine can be bundled with a wide extension bed, knee lifter, and extra decorative feet.
I checked online today and found most Juki Exceed F400 machines retailing for around $900 and the next model up, the F600 costing around $1050. When compared to what I've spent on equivalent Bernina and Janome sewing machines, I believe you get a lot more gear for a lot less money with the Juki Exceed machines.
Questions about the Juki Exceed F400
Now it's your turn! What would you like to know about this sewing machine? Contact us with any questions you have and we'll update this post with more details about the Juki Exceed F400.
Frequently Asked Questions About this Sewing Machine
Will the darning foot on the Juki Exceed F400 work on the Juki TL2010Q?
No, definitely not. The Juki Exceed has the same screw connection as the Juki TL, but the foot bar is much lower so the darning foot will not connect properly to this machine.
Next, I tried using two different high / low shank adapters on the Juki TL2010Q and found the darning foot either could not connect to the adapter, or if it could connect, it would not be in the correct position for the needle. As you can see from the picture below, the needle is not landing anywhere close to the center of the open toe foot!
I'm not exactly sure why this didn't work as I believe the Juki Exceed is a low shank machine and the Juki TL series are high shank machines, but it looks like there is something about the unique nature of this darning foot that does not allow it to fit both machines.
Why don't you quilt on the Juki TL2010Q any longer?
Mostly this is my own personal preference. I like having the option to zigzag and blanket stitch and I like the feet on the Exceed model better.
I also have not found this machine too bulky in the front so it hasn't blocked my visibility of the needle. For all these various reasons it's become my go-to machine for quilting and for filming on video because it's reliable and I can shoot any sewing machine technique I need without having to switch machines.