Juki MO 644D Review

While visiting the Gold Coast Sewing and Vacuum Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, I had an opportunity to review the Juki MO 644D serger. A little while ago, I reviewed its companion machine, the Juki MO 654DE.

Juki MO 644D

At A Glance

When you first look at them, there is little discernable difference between the Juki MO 644D and the MO 654DE. However, upon closer examination, you discover that the placement of two very important controls are completely different.

The differential feed dial on the MO 644D is located on the left hand side and inside the door is the stitch length control. On the MO 654DE, both these controls are located outside the machine on the right hand side.

The differential feed dial

The presser foot pressure adjustment dial is situated on top of the Juki MO 644D above the needle housing.

There is also a seam guide etched on the looper door and the four color coded tension dials make threading the MO 644D as easy as possible and each dial as a diagram showing exactly what a perfectly executed stitch should look like.

Four color coded tension dials

With this feature, people who are new to serging are able to instantly see whether the tension settings are correct or if they should be adjusted.

Inside the looper door is a decal that shows each step of the threading process in clear detail. There is, however, no space inside the looper door to store essential accessories to make threading easier.

Each step of the threading process in clear detail

With this in mind, it is necessary to keep the accessory storage bag, containing your needle threader, looper threader and tweezers close a hand at all times.

Features

• Sew with three or four threads
• Differential feed
• Adjustable stitch length and width
• Adjustable presser foot pressure
• Snap on presser foot

Working on the Juki MO 644D

Following the color coded threading guide inside the looper door and on front of the machine make threading the Juki MO 644D as easy as it could possibly be.

Once it is threaded, setting the stitch length and differential feed controls might be a little tricky for those who are familiar with using sergers with these controls on the right hand side.

On the Juki MO 644D, both these controls are located on the left side instead. To adjust the stitch length, it is actually necessary to open the door on the left.

Adjusting the presser foot pressure is as easy as turning the knob on top of the Juki MO 644D. For this review, multiple layers of denim were used to demonstrate how easily this serger works with multiple layers of fabric.

Regardless of the thickness, the Juki MO 644D sliced through the fabric as easily as a hot knife through butter as the old saying goes. The stitches are consistently even, well-formed and sturdy.

Consistently even, well-formed and sturdy stitches

It didn’t matter whether I sewed through one layer of fabric or four, the Juki MO 644D was quiet and solid. There was no vibration whatsoever.

The Juki MO 644D went through four layers of heavy denim so easily, I have no doubt it could handle twice the thickness or more just as smoothly.

Fabrics

• Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool
• Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet
• Knits
• Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester
• Leather/suede
• Fur
• Reptile skin
• Canvas/Twill
• Plastic/Rubber
• Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers

Accessories

• 2/3 thread converter
• 4 Thread Nets
• 4 Spool caps
• Tweezers
• Lint brush
• Needle threader
• Extra needles
• 2 Screwdrivers (1 large/1 small)
• Oil dispenser
• Accessory storage bag
• Dust cover
• Looper threader
• Owner’s manual

Accessories

Maintenance

Tying Off The Loose Ends

The Juki MO 644D is an excellent serger for the home sewer who has never used a serger before as well as the person who has been sewing and serging for many years.

The solid construction and superior stitch quality – especially when working with multiple thicknesses of fabric – are excellent features that enhance the sewing experience for any home sewer.

I love the way the Juki MO 644D feels while working on it. It is easy to thread and fun to use. This machine is by far one of the most solidly built sergers for home use I have reviewed.

Easy to thread and fun to use

It doesn’t have a free arm, but any experienced home sewer can work around that without any problem at all, and an inexperienced user will be able to make the adjustment in no time at all.

The one feature that kind of bothers me, however, is the placement of the stitch length adjustment control. I am one of those people who likes to take the fewest steps possible to get a job done in the sewing room.

This means I like having everything as easily accessible as possible. The fact that it is necessary to open the side door of the Juki MO 644D in order to change the length of the stitches is for me a letdown.

In my opinion, this is an inconvenient feature, but one that users can become accustomed to. The problem comes in if you have a serger table like mine with a raised a shelf that rests against the left side of the serger.

All in all, however, I like the Juki MO 644D very much. Let’s face it. Being able to open that door on the left is a definite advantage when it comes to cleaning the loopers.

Besides, when you consider the advantages of having a well-built serger that can handle everything from the finest of silks and delicate fabrics to the thickest, toughest of fabrics, taking a few extra seconds to adjust the stitch length and the lack of a free are very small inconveniences to say the least.

The Juki MO 644D is portable, lightweight and best of all, it has all of the great workmanship and reliability that Juki industrial sewing machines have been known for through the years.

With an MSRP of less than $500, the MO 644D is affordable and its compact size makes it easy to store if space is a concern.

The Juki MO 644D is an excellent choice for anyone over the age of 12 who already knows the basics of sewing machine operation and is ready to step up to using a serger.

I do not recommend that children younger than 12 use this or any serger because of the possibility of little fingers finding their way in the path of the upper knife.

The features and durability of this machine are not only good for the beginner. They are also features that experienced home sewers would appreciate. This is one of those machines that doesn’t cost a fortune, but is capable of providing many, many years of reliable service.

If you are in the market for a new serger and budget is a concern, I strongly urge you to take a long hard look at the Juki MO 644D. This is quite probably the most dependable serger in its price range.

While you may be able to find a serger that costs less, you will not find a low cost serger that will give you better service. See it for yourself. Visit your local Juki dealer and ask for a demonstration.