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Baby Lock Rachel Review (mise à jour 2023)
Editor’s Note: This Baby Lock Rachel review was written in 2014, revised and updated in 2022. We have listed machines from other brands similar to Baby Lock Rachel that you might want to look at. In order of increasing price, we recommend the Brother CS600i, Janome MOD-50 et le Singer9960.
Baby Lock Rachel is a computerized sewing machine designed to replace the Baby Lock Grace, which has been on the market for a long time. The main difference is that the Rachel has a few additional stitch options as well as some enhancements to the under the cover technology.
Baby Lock Rachel – Overview
Baby Lock Rachel falls among the leveled-up lot of mechanical sewing machines. It comes with 50 stitching styles, five one-step buttonholes, a speed control slider, an automatic thread cutter, a free arm, drop feed, etc., and much more. This device defines convenience and is very easy to get the hang of. You can customize stitch length and width settings. When a stitch is made, a bright LCD window with backlighting shows the stitch number, the best foot for the presser, and the default length and width settings for the stitch.
En un coup d'œil
The Baby Lock Rachel has a sleek rounded design with an on board stitch guide, a bright back-lit LCD display screen, a variable speed control slider, start/stop button, easy to follow threading guides, and a huge dial that is used to select stitches. There are also buttons to adjust the stitch length and width as well as buttons to set the machine for working with a double needle and a reverse stitch locking button. There is also a drop in bobbin with a see through cover which allows you to see exactly how much thread is left on the bobbin, an on board thread cutter, an automatic enfile aiguille and an on board accessories case that reveals the free arm when it is removed.
Caractéristiques
- 50 Built-in stitches
- 5 boutonnières en une étape
- Drop-in bobbin
- Enfile-aiguille intégré
- Quick-set bobbin
- Bras libre
- Supprimer le flux
- Aiguille haut/bas
- Curseur de contrôle de vitesse variable
- Bouton marche/arrêt
- Longueur et largeur de point réglables
- Positions d'aiguille variables
- Coupe-fil automatique
Working on the Baby Lock Rachel
Following the easy to use thread guide and bobbin winder are easy enough for any beginner to master after just one attempt. The on board stitch selection guide and dial are equally as easy to use.
In my opinion, the only stitch selection process that might be easier than this dial is a keypad that allows you to simply choose the desired stitch by touching the corresponding numbers with your fingertips. Once a stitch is identified, the bright back-lit LCD window displays the stitch number, the presser ideal foot and the default length and width settings. If you want to change the settings for length or width, just use the plus and minus keys on the right side of the screen to move the settings up or down until you get the stitch size you want. There is also a button that allows you to set the machine for sewing with a double needle. When the Baby Lock Rachel is set to use a double needle, that setting is also shown on the display screen. After sampling several different utility and decorative stitch options, I came to the conclusion that each stitch came out with perfection.
The stitches made by the Baby Lock Rachel are as precise as stitches made by computerized sewing machines that cost a lot more. Every stitch I sampled was perfectly formed, stable, secure and well defined. However, there was one difficulty in working on the Baby Lock Rachel. There was a lot of vibration, especially when I moved the speed slider from slow to fast. The faster I attempted to sew, the more the machine vibrated. At the very highest speed, I was concerned that it might vibrate so much that it could possibly fall off of certain sewing tables.
Alternatives to the Baby Lock Rachel
There are many newer and better alternatives to the Baby Lock Rachel now available in the market. In order of increasing price, we recommend the Brother CS600i, Janome MOD-50 et le Singer9960. Details below:
Brother Sewing and Quilting Machine is more of a small long-arm quilt machine that is pretty affordable and offers you multiple features. Here, you can enjoy using 60 built-in stitches, including both decorative and quilting stitches, and a wide table for larger quilting tasks. Apart from that, the quilting device is designed with an LCD screen for stitch selection, a sewing speed that you can adjust, and an automatic needle threader.
- Les guides d'enfilage facilitent l'utilisation
- Grande quantité de styles de boutonnières, d'accessoires pour pieds et d'options de fil
- Cheap
- Massive range of built-in stitches
- Easy-to-use LCD screen
- La quantité globale de réglages de points peut être inférieure à celle proposée par d'autres modèles.
- Not enough space for huge quilts
- Advanced stitch instructions
Le Janome MOD-50, qui fait partie de la gamme diversifiée Mod, offre 50 points intégrés, dont 3 boutonnières en une étape. Idéal pour libérer la créativité, il simplifie la couture de vêtements modernes, de décoration intérieure et de courtepointes. Avec des fonctionnalités conviviales telles qu’un enfilage facile, une canette à chargement par le haut et des boutons pratiques, cette machine s’adresse aussi bien aux couturières débutantes qu’intermédiaires. Sa précision et sa fiabilité en font un outil incontournable pour aborder les projets de couture en toute confiance. Le MOD-50 allie harmonieusement innovation et fonctionnalité pour une expérience de couture satisfaisante.
- Points intégrés étendus
- Bouton d'inversion facile
- Peut être un peu bruyant
Polyvalence, fonctionnalités haut de gamme et précision définissent la Singer Quantum Stylist 9960. La machine à coudre obtient la note maximale en termes de 600 points intégrés, qui comprennent des options extensibles, décoratives et de matelassage pour chouchouter votre couturière intérieure. Ensuite, l'appareil est livré avec un enfile-aiguille et un coupe-fil automatique pour vous faire gagner du temps. Vous trouverez même un curseur de contrôle de vitesse conçu pour les professionnels et les débutants. La machine vous surprendra également avec 13 boutonnières entièrement automatiques et une large gamme de pieds-de-biche pour augmenter la valeur afin que vous puissiez coudre divers projets.
- Différentes options de couture
- Écran LCD intuitif et facile à lire
- Permet 850 points par minute avec un moteur robuste
- Vous obtenez une table supplémentaire et des pieds presseurs larges.
- Structure lourde.
- Espace de travail limité pour les projets de quilting massifs.
Avec 600 points intégrés, dont des options extensibles, décoratives et de quilting, les utilisateurs apprécient son potentiel créatif. L'enfile-aiguille automatique, le coupe-fil et le curseur de réglage de la vitesse sont très appréciés pour leur commodité, notamment pour les débutants. Le moteur lui-même peut gérer jusqu'à 850 points par minute.
Cependant, si vous vous concentrez sur des projets de quilting plus importants, cela peut ne pas être idéal car les utilisateurs ont déclaré qu'il a une structure lourde et un espace de gorge limité.
Baby Lock Rachel: Fabrics
| Des tissus qui fonctionnent | Des tissus qui ne fonctionnent pas |
|---|---|
Fibres naturelles/coton-lin-laine Tissus fins/soie-satin-taffetas/velours Tricots Tissus/mélanges synthétiques-rayonne-polyester |
Accessoires
- 7 Snap-on presser feet
- Point aveugle
- Button fitting
- Boutonnière
- Surfilage
- Plumetis
- Standard/zig zag
- Fermeture éclair
- Couverture souple
- 2 tournevis (1 grand/1 petit)
- 4 bobines
- Aiguilles supplémentaires
- Aiguille double
- Plastic accessories pouch
- 3 capuchons de bobine (1 grand/1 moyen/1 petit)
- Guide de référence rapide
- Le manuel du propriétaire
BabyLock Rachel: Maintenance
| Activités d'entretien | Après chaque utilisation | Mensuel | Une fois par an | Comme requis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nettoyer le crochet de course et nourrir les chiens | Oui | Non | Non | Non |
| Essuyez la tête avec un chiffon doux et sec | Non | Non | Non | Oui |
| Essuyez la tête avec un chiffon doux et humide | Non | Non | Non | Oui |
| Lubrifier | Non | Non | Non | Non |
| Service par un professionnel de la réparation de machines à coudre | Non | Non | Oui | Non |
Ne manquez pas : Meilleures machines à coudre mécaniques
Attacher les détails
The Baby Lock Rachel is one of those sewing machines that you either love or hate. I love the stitch quality and the easy stitch selection process. I hate the fact that it vibrates so badly that it could very easily fall off of a table when sewing at higher speed levels. Once I moved the speed slider beyond the halfway point, the machine started vibrating. The faster it went, the more violently it vibrated. This is a huge no-no for someone like me who is accustomed to sewing at high speeds. I love the ease of threading the Baby Lock Rachel and winding the bobbin, but I am not at all pleased with the location of the drop feed control.
Before you can get to the control lever, you have to remove the accessories case and then reach around to the rear of the free arm. In my opinion, the placement of the drop feed control was determined by someone who really doesn’t understand sewing. They may have a great understanding about what it takes to make a good quality sewing machine, but when it comes to efficiency, they fall short. Anyone who places a function control where it is not easy to access clearly doesn’t understand what it is to be a person who actually sews.
If you have been reading reviews on this site for any length of time, you already know this is my pet peeve about many of the newer sewing machine models. If you do a lot of freehand sewing, daring, attaching buttons or bartacking, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
When I consider the vibration problem – which is far more troublesome to me than the placement of the drop feed control – I cannot give the Baby Lock Rachel the high rating that the stitch quality would normally dictate. I think anyone who is comfortable sewing at reduced speeds, then the Rachel might just be for you.
When you take into account the ease with which you can thread this sewing machine and how easy it is to select the various decorative and utility stitch options, this could be a good choice for someone who is just beginning to sew and is intimidated by sewing at high speeds. The problem, however, comes about when that person gets accustomed to working on the Rachel and decides they are ready to literally put their sewing into high gear. Without the vibration problem, I would not hesitate to give the Baby Lock Rachel an overall rating of 5 stars.
If the Baby Lock Rachel didn’t shake so much, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to use a computerized sewing machine, no matter how old or skilled they are. I was greatly disappointed when I realized just how unstable the Baby Lock Rachel is and sincerely hope the manufacturer goes back to the drawing board on this one to take whatever steps are necessary to correct the problem with the vibration as quickly as possible. Until then, I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone purchase this sewing machine.
I think the Baby Lock Rachel will be a great addition to any sewing room once the vibration problem is fixed. Until then, however, I must advise anyone in the market for a beginner level computerized sewing machine that they continue to shop around. There are plenty of other computerized sewing machines on the market in this price range that do not vibrate nearly as much as this one if at all.
Si vous êtes une couturière avancée, jetez un œil à notre meilleures machines à coudre, meilleurs livres de couture et meilleurs magazines de couture messages et si vous cherchez à obtenir un mécanique, à toute épreuve, piquage ou machine à coudre industrielle, jetez un œil à certains de nos excellents articles. Si vous êtes une couturière débutante, consultez notre meilleurs livres de couture pour débutants, meilleures machines à coudre pour débutants et meilleures machines à coudre sous $200 pour commencer.
Pour les articles liés à la marque, consultez Meilleure Bernette | Meilleur Bernina | Meilleur Brother | Meilleur Husqvarna Viking | Meilleur Janome | Meilleur Juki | Meilleur Singer |
Pour les meilleurs accessoires, vérifiez Meilleures chaises | Meilleures tables | Meilleur papier calque | Meilleures huiles pour machines | Meilleurs ciseaux et cisailles | Meilleurs pieds-de-biche | Meilleures aiguilles | Les meilleurs kits de couture |
Bonne couture.
Other Baby Lock reviews you may like
BabyLock Enlighten Review (mise à jour 2023)
La Baby Lock Enlighten n'est pas une surjeteuse ordinaire. C'est une machine à 2/3/4 fils qui peut non seulement effectuer toutes les tâches d'une surjeteuse de base, mais elle peut également proposer de nombreuses autres options de points. Lorsque je l'ai vue pour la première fois, j'ai pensé que je regardais une Baby Lock Imagine, mais en l'examinant de plus près, j'ai découvert des différences très importantes. L'Enlighten possède toutes les excellentes caractéristiques de l'Imagine ainsi que quelques fonctionnalités supplémentaires que la couturière amateur qui est déjà experte en matière de travail avec une surjeteuse de base appréciera forcément.
Revue BabyLock Imagine (mise à jour 2023)
À quelle fréquence avez-vous l'occasion de voir le propriétaire d'un magasin de machines à coudre déballer et tester une surjeteuse flambant neuve ? J'ai eu la chance d'assister à tout le processus lorsque Cynthia's Fine Fabrics a ouvert une nouvelle Imagine Baby Lock. Voir cette surjeteuse de troisième génération être mise à l'épreuve a été un véritable plaisir. Elle est suffisamment simple à utiliser pour un débutant, mais elle peut faire tellement de choses, et les faire avec une telle précision que je suis convaincue qu'une couturière chevronnée serait ravie de travailler dessus également.
Examen de l'évolution Baby Lock (mise à jour 2023)
The exclusive Baby Lock ExtraordinAir threading system, tubular loopers and easy thread needles are easy enough for a beginner, but I think this eight thread serger should be used by the intermediate or advanced home sewer. There are far too many choices for the novice. In my opinion, if you get too many options before learning the basics of using a serger at home, you run the dangerous risk of getting frustrated and leaving the serger in the closet just collecting dust. A seasoned home sewer, however, could truly appreciate all that the Baby Lock Evolution brings and be very happy with it.
Baby Lock Revue de Rachel
Résumé
The Baby Lock Rachel is one of those sewing machines that you either love or hate. I love the stitch quality and the easy stitch selection process. I hate the fact that it vibrates so badly that it could very easily fall off of a table when sewing at higher speed levels. For this price range, I recommend looking at other alternatives from Singer, Brother or Janome
Si vous êtes une couturière avancée, jetez un œil à notre meilleures machines à coudre, meilleurs livres de couture et meilleurs magazines de couture messages et si vous cherchez à obtenir un mécanique, à toute épreuve, piquage ou machine à coudre industrielle, jetez un œil à certains de nos excellents articles. Si vous êtes une couturière débutante, consultez notre meilleurs livres de couture pour débutants, meilleures machines à coudre pour débutants et meilleures machines à coudre sous $200 pour commencer.
Pour les articles liés à la marque, consultez Meilleure Bernette | Meilleur Bernina | Meilleur Brother | Meilleur Husqvarna Viking | Meilleur Janome | Meilleur Juki | Meilleur Singer |
Pour les meilleurs accessoires, vérifiez Meilleures chaises | Meilleures tables | Meilleur papier calque | Meilleures huiles pour machines | Meilleurs ciseaux et cisailles | Meilleurs pieds-de-biche | Meilleures aiguilles | Les meilleurs kits de couture |
Bonne couture.
I usually sew at top speed and have no problem with vibration on my machine. I have it in a sturdy drop down table. I give this a 5 star rating.
I’m a quilting guy. I need a machine that is a speed demon! I have a sewing table that takes two people to move, so if I can attach it to the drop shelf I’m good..Does it have bolt holes on the bottom? How does the straight stitch look?
Thank you for sharing your positive experience, Joyce and thank you for visiting Sewing Insight.
No doubt, you are working on a table built and designed for stability. As with most reviews, this machine was reviewed in a store. Some sewing machines and sergers I review are mounted on actual sewing tables. Others are not. This particular machine was not on a sewing table, but rather on one of those long conference type tables. I will definitely share this insight with the store owner.
Bonne couture.
I have been sewing on the Baby Lock Rachel for 2 weeks. I prefer to use the foot pedal as opposed to the start/stop button on the machine. I really like being able to press a button and the machine automatically back stitches at the beginning and end of the seam. I love the stitch dial selector and that the display tells you what foot to use for each stitch. No having to pull out manual to see which foot to use. This may sound silly but I love the instruction guide because it is all written in English. The Singer machine I have the instruction guide has directions in English, Spanish,German,and French. It is so confusing the way they have it payed out. So far so good I like the machine.
I own a Baby Lock Symphony and just purchased a Rachael. I make fabric wrapped baskets so I needed a tough machine. I love the Rachael’s curved top, as it makes a wonderful addition to my Baby Lock family for what I do. I am very hard on my machines, and these machines are tough. I am using them as commercial machines and they have never let me down. Perfect for sewing anything, and tough, tough, tough!!! I also teach quilting and sewing classes. The Rachael is very light weight, again, just exactly what I needed.
How do you feel this machine would work with quilting? That’s in advance!!!
I purchased Rachel for my son with high functioning autism. He was attending a sewing camp, and I needed something safe and not frustrating. The speed control is great for kids. The slowest speed crawls. I’ve never seen any machine on the market that can run that slow. Also the error message will ring if your presser foot is up and will not run the machine. After 30 hours for the week long sewing camp, no accidents at all or meltdowns. He calls it his machine and loves it. As for vibrating, there was none at my home on top of my dining room table. At camp, they used the cheap yard sale tables. Every child’s machine which were Janomes and Singers including Rachel vibrated somewhat but not dangerously. The straight stitch is super nice and may give my featherweight some competition. It can also be stored easily in one of the Joann’s rolling bags. Only thing I don’t like is that the default stitch is left of center. I prefer that sewing machines turn on and be in the center position. Also if you put the whole assessory bag in the storage compartment, it does not fit well. You have to take it out for the compartment to close. I would still give it 4 stars only because the center needle position is a must for safety. Center should always be the default especially if you are a quilter and like using piecing feet which are often single holed. I have tons of different brand machines that start in center needle position so I will need to train this old brain to not forget to move the stitch to #2.
You can change the default needle position to be either in the center position, or left of center. The procedure is in the manual on page 36: “While pressing the needle mode selection key, turn on the sewing machine. When the machine beeps twice, release the needle mode selection key”
This was something we also wanted to change, and were very happy to find the option in the manual.
Thank you for the reference. However, I firmly believe it should come to the customer in center needle position. I have no idea what they were thinking. As an avid sewer and quilter, I want it the way I’ve traditionally done in the past without having to change something. It’s a small change for Babylock to do, but I think it would be wise for them to do this. This was a class machine for me so I expected to sew with it right out of the box and, honestly, without reading the manual. There are other quilters in my guild complaining of the same thing so thank you, Joe, for the information so I can share with them.
Thank you, thank you. I have broken so many needles since buying this machine a year ago. I was ready to give up on it. I love everything else about the machine. It sews evenly, is light weight to take to sewing groups, has a great choice of stitches, love that it tells you which pressure foot to use and the light is bright. What more could hobby seamstress want!
I have very expensive machines that vibrate on those conference tables. I had a Grace and could sew full out on the tables I have at home. I think in this case the problem is the table and not the machine.
I have to disagree with some of your observations.
Vibration: I replaced my old Grace Baby Lock with a Rachel. I have absolutely NO problem with vibration. I see no difference between the two machines in regards to vibration, and you gave the Grace 5 out of 5. I sew on a heavy oak kitchen table, but have used the lunch room style table, and both machines vibrate more on the light weight tables.
Fabrics: Based on actual sewing projects,I would rate the fabrics as:
yes – Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool [up to 6 layers any speed]
yes – Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet [up to 6 layers any speed]
yes- Knits [up to 5 layers any speed]
yes – Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester [up to 6 layers any speed]
yes – Upholstery [up to 3 layers for flat felled seams any speed]
yes – Leather/suede [2 layers of lambskin, calf skin, or suede, slow or medium speed]
yes – Canvas/Twill [up to 5 layers for 9 oz. canvas, any speed]
yes – Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers [see notes above]
Have had my machine 3 years now. I am frustrated with the poor stitch and ability of this on heavy material . I tried to sew a zipper in my winter coat and the stitch was uneven and the needle kept pulling out. I changed the needle to a heavy denim needle and no difference. Longer stitch as well. Not impressed. I need a heavy duty machine. This is fine for dress making only.. Also the girl I bought it from at the store could not figure out how to demonstrate the needle threader and I was never able to figure it out as well. Just threaded it by hand it was much easier. Other than that issue with sewing heavy things it works great. Stitch quality is perfect unless you try and sew heavy things.
I’m so disappointed in this machine. I bought it specifically with quilting in mind and the sales lady who sold it to me swore it would be fine. She was really really wrong . The second you sew anything with a thickness it’s stitch lengths go right out the window and a walking foot doesn’t help.
This was my first “nice” machine and it’s been anything but. I was stupid and left it in the box for a year before trying to use it it. I’ve owned it for three years but only really recently tried to use it. I’m not able to afford to replace it but maybe I can at least get this piece of crap out of my house.
I know this is an older review and comments but I’m surprised. I own a Grace and a Rachel and have never had vibration issues with either one. I have used them in a classroom setting on super cheap molded plastic, long folding tables, and I use them in my shop on 1950s kitchen dinette tables. I had an old inexpensive Brother machine that bounced so badly I’d have to chase after it and move it back across the table every few minutes. I also should point out that I sew exclusively on the highest speed setting, I never turn down the speed and the pedal is always to the floor. Also, I disagree with this machine (or previous “Grace” model) being unable to sew thicker fabrics or multiple layers. I have sewn suede, garment leather, denim, etc. It’s not a commercial grade by any means, but it will go through heavier materials. I would not try to sew tooling leather or finish denim with a tripled rolled hem of course, but it will certainly go through two layers of denim. One final note… I LOVE that the default stitch is to the left! I think that is brilliant and makes it much easier to see and calculate seam allowance. The Rachel’s motor is noticeably smoother than the previous Grace was, in fact I think overall the Rachel vibrates even less than Grace and is quieter. The only complaint I had with the Rachel is they changed the hook that holds the thread against the top of the needle (marked step 6 in threading sequence). The Rachel version is just a little slip of metal with a second “hook” of metal to hold it in place and that second hook is like a paper thin piece of mylar and will quickly pull out of place and hang down like it’s broken if you pull the thread out of the machine from the front or if the thread gets caught mid-stitch. Took forever to figure out how to get it back in place and almost ripped off completely. It’s very flimsy and disappointing that Baby Lock would change the design from the Grace which was a sturdy proper metal curved hook that held the thread in place and does not flex. Just this past weekend, my original Grace from 2012 finally gave out and I replaced it with a Jubilant which is the equivalent current model. It sews as well as the Rachel right out of the box, super smooth stitches. The default stitch does look wider than the Grace/Rachel but it could be my imagination. The flimsy thread hooks are still there like on the Rachel and that’s disappointing. The main disappointment is they changed the default needle setting to the center! Ugh! Now the left position is set to stitch number 3, which means a lot of messed up garments because I’m used to starting on stitch 1 when I turn on the machine. I have yet to check the manual to see if it can be re-programmed.
Since buying a Babylock Rachel 3 years & 3 months ago I have experienced major, major frustrations with that machine. It constantly loops from the bobbin thread. I’ve made six trips back to the store where I purchased it. After each trip it would work fine for a little while then gradually get worse and start looping again. It has been to the service technician twice in the last three weeks. The owner of the store claims she just heard about the problem yesterday. Sounds like she and her staff do not communicate very well. I am thoroughly disgusted and discouraged with that machine. I purchased a big expensive lemon apparently!