Juki HZL-F600 Review – This Is The King Of The Exceed Line

Exceeding Your Expectations In Every Way Possible

Your current sewing machine may have served you well for years now, but take a long, hard look at – and be honest:

Is it time for an upgrade? Are you ready for something high-powered that will allow you to power through even the toughest of projects without even breaking a sweat?

If your answer was “Yes,” then I have some excellent news for you:

Help is on the way, and it comes under the name of Juki HZL-F600!

Maybe you feel like you outgrew the sewing machine you’re using right now, even if it still operates flawlessly. That happens, too:

As your skill level advances, your sewing machine should have the ability to keep up with you. And if you’re here, the one that’s sitting on your sewing table isn’t what you need.

It doesn’t even matter what brought you to my Juki HZL-F600 review, because the fact is, you’re here – searching for a top-notch sewing and quilting machine.

I went ahead and tested this model in hopes of getting a better understanding of what it has to offer. Even more so, I did quite a bit of research on the entire Exceed Series, too. And today, I’m going to share all these findings with you!

Why the Juki HZL-F600, you ask?

Keep on reading and find out for yourself!

Juki HZL-F600 Summed Up – Test Results & Grades

Here are a quick once-over and a brief insight into my experience with this high-tech piece of sewing equipment:

Keep on scrolling for a more detailed take on what it’s like using this Juki sewing machine.

Juki HZL-F600 In-Depth Review

One thing I learned from my thorough examination and testing of this particular model is that it’s not for everyone. It offers a lot of things, but the beginner-friendly design isn’t one of them.

Keep on reading my detailed Juki HZL-F600 review, and you’ll see what I mean!

Unboxing The Juki HZL-F600: First Impressions & Design

The Juki HZL-F600 Sewing Machine is a part of Juki’s Exceed Series – and a top-of-the-line model, as well.

Here’s an introductory video:

If you’re familiar with Juki sewing machines, you probably know that they usually don’t look like much at first glance. Plain and simple – bland, even – would be the best way to describe them design-wise.

Considering that it measures a mere 17.5 x 11.5 x 8.25 inches (44.45 x 29 x 21 centimeters), it’s quite compact compared to others I’ve reviewed recently.

And yet, you shouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating its working capabilities:

You won’t find a lot of other similarly sized sewing machines that pack as many features in such a compact frame!

I commend Juki as a brand for being focused on making essential technological advancements that made that possible.

And even though it’s a real beast among sewing machines, it still manages to maintain a relatively reasonable weight of a little over 20 pounds (9.8 kilograms).

If you read my Juki TL2010Q review, you’ll know that this a drastic improvement portability-wise. It’s easily one of the most lightweight Juki sewing machines I came across.

The case and the broad, sturdy integrated handle make it even easier to carry around with you.

Next to it, on top of the sewing machine, is a dial that lets you adjust the pressure of the pressure feet with ease.

The work area, with LED lights directly above it, is nothing short of impressive, either. Measuring 8 inches in width and 12.25 inches in length, it’s undoubtedly more substantial than your average sewing machine’s workspace.

Plus, it comes with a sizeable slide-on extension table – I know quilters are going to love that!

The base pops open to uncover a nifty storage box for your sewing accessories, too.

Right there on the sewing machine’s front panel is the LCD screen, along with a numbered keyboard, and a wide array of accompanying button controls, including:

• Start/Stop button
• Needle Up/Down button
• Reverse Stitch button
• Thread trimming button
• The width and length-adjusting dials
• Option button
• Mirror Image button
• Continuous Stitch button
• Automatic Lock Stitch and Thread Trimming button
• Pattern selection modes buttons
• Selection buttons
• Confirmation, Save, and Clear buttons

The screen measures 2.6 x 1.3 inches, making it surprisingly easy to navigate and have every bit of information displayed on it.

The machine features a drop-in bobbin, with a clear plastic cover over it. One of the thread cutters is located right next to it, on the throat plate, for maximum convenience.

I’ve found a total of three manual thread cutters, all conveniently distributed, including four blades on the bobbin winder itself, and one on the side of the unit.

Now, I know I called it bland-looking, but, it’s what’s „under the hood“ that counts – and makes it so fascinating.

Before we get to that, though, check out this video that pretty much sums it up:

A Look Under The Hood: Stand-Out Features & Functionality

The first thing I’d like to talk about when it comes to features that stood out the most is, of course, the sheer number of included stitch patterns:

You’ll get a total of 225 built-in stitches to play around and experiment with on the Juki HZL-F600!

And I have to add, compared to the Juki TL-2000Qi I had the chance to review recently, merely saying that it offers a variety of stitches and patterns would be an understatement.

That includes four sewing alphabets, and a wide selection of practical and decorative stitches, as well.

On top of that, it offers 16 different industrial-level buttonhole styles, as well, which is easily one of the largest selections I’ve seen on the market.

Once you select the desired stitch through direct pattern selection, it will show up on the LCD screen. To further eliminate any guesswork, the screen will also show the recommended presser foot for that particular stitch pattern.

All the modifications and combinations you might make can be saved in the machine’s memory for future use.

You’ll have ten memory folders at your disposal, and an option to save up to 70 of these mixed-and-matched patterns. Accessing them later only takes a touch of a button.

I mentioned that it had quite a few manual thread cutters distributed across the unit. However, what I didn’t tell you is that an automatic thread cutter is also present on this Juki sewing machine.

The Juki HZL-F600 has a maximum speed of 900 stitches per minute, which is nowhere near as impressive compared to the Juki DDL 8700. Then again, after getting a chance to use, I don’t consider this a disadvantage, at all.

On that note, the speed is adjustable. Use the speed control slider to play around with different speed levels to figure out what works for you.

Now, since this one is marketed as a sewing and quilting machine, as you can probably guess, it doesn’t run short on features that support quilting, either!

Here are a few of my favorites – besides the large work area and lots of decorative stitches, that is:

• Drop Feed Dogs, a feature that’s a must-have for free-motion quilting, and can be accessed by a flip of a switch.
• Random Stitches feature – a selection of Juki’s exclusive quilting stitches for quilting enthusiasts who love decorative stitches.
• Knee-Lifting Lever, which provides the convenience of hands-free operation, so that you can have both your hands on the fabric you’re stitching.

My User Experience & Tips For First-Time Users

Let’s get you familiar with how things work on the Juki HZL-F600 – starting from the most basic stuff, such as setting everything up.

It’s okay if you’d like to take baby steps, and figure out the basics before you end up neck-deep in all of its features and customizations.

Here’s a somewhat lengthy but helpful introductory video you should check out:

If you get confused about something at any point, I strongly encourage you to go through the instructions manual. It covers pretty much anything, down to the smallest details, and offers a lot of guidance for first-time users.

Powering up your Juki HZL-F600 is straightforward, as it only requires you to connect it to a power supply, and flip the switch located on the side of the unit.

When you turn it on, you’ll get a „Hello“ message across the screen, and it will be on the default Straight Stitch setting.

You can choose between two primary ways to operate the machine:

1. Using the Start/Stop button
2. Using the Foot Controller

Besides controlling the speed by adjusting the foot pressure, the foot controller comes with a few preset functions, as well:

If you push it forward, the machine starts sewing, and if you push it back with your heel, it cuts the thread automatically.

The area under the top lid is reserved for the independent bobbin winder, the thread, and the adjustable thread tension dial, as well.

On the lid itself, there’s a handy chart that shows you all of the sewing machine’s built-in stitches. That means you don’t have to memorize all of them – or carry the manual around with you.

I’m not sure I mentioned this already, but it has an automatic needle threader, too.

I found it super useful that the buttonhole length is automatically calculated when you place your button on the adequate presser foot.

It’s all smooth sailing from there!

This video will show you how to make use of the buttonhole presser foot:

Included Accessories & Tools: What Else Is There?

All these features I talked about previously wouldn’t matter much if the Juki HZL-F600 sewing machine didn’t come with an accompanying set of extra accessories.

The most important ones are, of course, the 12 different snap-on presser feet, including two buttonhole feet, a manual and an auto one.

It doesn’t skimp on the more basic sewing tools and accessories that you’d expect to find inside the box of any brand new sewing machine.

The already long list of accessories also includes a hard-shell case, four extra bobbins, three different-sized spool caps, one auxiliary spool pin, a quilt guide, and a set of needles complete with twin needles.

You’ll also get a screwdriver, a lint brush, a seam ripper, as well as an eyelet punch.

Additional accessories are also available, so the list doesn’t end here, either.

Here’s an overview of the Advanced Quilter’s Kit as an example:

Summarizing Every Positive & Negative

Decision Time: Is The Juki HZL-F600 Worth It?

I can’t even begin to convey how utterly impressed I am with the Juki HZL-F600. Everything it does, it does with precision and ease – from straight stitching to free-motion quilting, and everything in between.

At the same time, I’m not entirely comfortable recommending it to absolute beginners. I don’t think that a professional-level sewing machine – no matter how good it is – is the right place to start.

If you decide that it’s worth a shot, though, give yourself some time, and take things slow. Don’t let it intimidate you. It’s as user-friendly as it is advanced.

I promise you’ll fall in love with it in no time!