74.9 Juki sewing machines generally get pretty good consumer ratings. The HZL-K85 seems to struggle in this department however. Most owners do like their HZL-K85 but some really dislike it. The machine gets praise for its ease of use and solid construction but some folks report that the feed dogs don`t work that well and the power cord is too short.
Consumer Ratings
With a score of 74.9 out of a possible 100 the HZL-K85 lags behind the other Juki sewing machines we have looked at. It should be noted however that only 14 ratings were found and a larger sample would add conviction to the score but there are enough poor ratings to cause concern. The following table provides the scores found online.
| Source | Consumer Ratings | #Ratings |
| Amazon | 5 stars out of 5 | 2 |
| HSN | 3.4 stars out of 5 | 11 |
| Sewing Machines Plus | 5 stars out of 5 | 1 |
Consumer Insights
A review of consumer comments provides the following owner likes and dislikes:
PROS
- Easy to thread
- Quiet operation
- Solid machine
- Included manual and DVD are useful
- Many features and user friendly
CONS
- Some report having trouble with the straight stitch
- Not enough decorative stitches
- Short power cord
Most owners report that the HZL-K85 creates good, even stitches although some do have trouble with the straight stitch. The machine handles both lightweight and heavy fabrics well, and a number of folks mention that they like to use the machine for quilting.
Probably one of the most common comments relates to the Jukis ease of use. It is easy to thread and many owners report that the interface is user friendly, and that features in general are easy to understand and use. There are some reports however that the feed dogs dont work as well as expected.
Consumer insights on this machine are a little hard to nail down as some owners give the unit 5 stars out of 5 and really like it (you can read the Amazon reviews which are glowing), while others point out one or two flaws and give it a very low rating. A few owners report sending the machine back for a refund after being disappointed and or frustrated with the unit`s performance.
Key Sewing Machine Features
- 100 patterns of letter and numbers
- 30 decorative stitch patterns
- 12 practical sewing patterns
- 8 types of buttonhole
- Two lock stitches: reverse stitch & reinforcement stitch
- Maximum stitch width of 7 mm
- Maximum stitch length of 4 mm
- Automatic needle threader
- Start/stop button
- 15 needle positions
- Ability to change size of stitch pattern
- Needle up/down
- LED light to illuminate sewing area
- LCD display
- Speed controller
- Carry handle
- Automatic bobbin winding stop
- Takes a standard plastic class 15 bobbin
- Twin needle sewing capable
- Reverse stitch capable
- Automatic top thread tension
- Top-loading drop-in bobbin
- 7-point steel feed-dog system
- Drop feed capable
- Maximum speed of 760 stitches/minute
- Ability to adjust presser foot pressure
- Extra high presser foot lift
- Snap-on presser feet
- Stitch chart on front of machine
Aside from a large number of features the Juki comes with a plethora of accessories. These include several presser feet: zipper, overcast, sensor buttonhole, manual buttonhole, standard, quilting attachment, and blindstitch. Also provided are: a screwdriver, sewing machine oil, needles, spool caps, spool felt, an auxiliary spool pin, seam ripper, bobbins, and a quilting guide. In addition, you receive a manual and instructional DVD which are both reported to be detailed and useful. There is storage on board the sewing machine where you can keep most of these accessories.
A hard cover is included as well and you also get a foot controller and a power cord.
The HZL-K85 weighs 15.6 lbs and carries a manufacturer's 5-year limited warranty on mechanical parts and a 2-year limited warranty on motors, light assembly, wiring, switches, circuit boards and speed control. It also covers 90 days labor.
The machine is UL listed. UL is a global independent safety science company involved in product safety testing and certification. Being UL listed essentially means the product complies with UL requirements. The requirements relate to reasonably foreseeable risks in terms of safety.
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Hello! My name is Alison and I started Sewing Machine Ratings over 10 years ago. Since then I’ve reviewed scores of sewing machines. Sewing has been a hobby for me since I was a young and I love to make my own clothing.