Product Test
Fil-Tec Clear-Glide Pre-Wound Bobbins
Introduction
Fil-Tec, the makers of Magna-Glide bobbins, has introduced a new line of pre-wound bobbins designed for use in home embroidery and quilting machines that use Class L or Class 15 bobbins.
Since we had previously done extensive testing of the Magna-Glide bobbins for Fil-Tec on our commercial machines, we were asked to help them once again by testing the Clear-Glide bobbins on our home machines.
Specifications
- Polyester style “L” bobbin
- Clear plastic sided pre-wound
- 100% high tenacity continuous polyester filament yarn
- 125 usable yards
- Lint-free
Testing Preliminaries
All of our testing was done on three different home machines. The machines used were a Brother 8500, Janome 10001 and Babylock Ellegante. The same tests were conducted on all three machines. We sewed out test patterns of various width satin columns as well as more complex embroidery designs ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 stitches.
Our tests were limited to comparisons with NEBS pre-wound bobbins and self-wound bobbins using thread from Brother and Finishing Touch. All machine speeds were set to maximum. White bobbins only were used in our tests.
Test Results Summary
The Clear-Glide bobbins performed well in all three machines. Results were impressive. In all our tests the Clear-Glide performed as good or better than the other brands we used in our tests. We encountered no problems what-so-ever using the Clear-Glide bobbins in any of our machines.
The Clear-Glides were smooth running and tension proved to be adequately consistent throughout. We noticed no lint build-up in our bobbin cases from using the Clear-Glide bobbins.
While our tests were only conducted on the machines mentioned above, we have no reason to believe results would be any different on other machines. The Clear-Glide is a high quality bobbin that should perform well in any machine using the Class L bobbin.
One really simple thing we liked about the Clear-Glide bobbin was the way they are manufactured. Unlike other manufacturers, Fil-Tec tucks in the loose end of the bobbin thread to prevent unraveling. By sandwiching the last two or three turns of thread between the thread and bobbin side, unraveling in the box is virtually eliminated. This may sound like a very minor point, but if you’ve ever faced a large rat’s nest inside your box of bobbins you’ll appreciate this thoughtful touch.
Conclusion
We highly recommend and endorse the Clear-Glide bobbins. We feel they will perform equally as well for you as they did for us. At the time our tests were conducted only white bobbins were available. They will be available in black very soon. Colored thread bobbins are also planned for the near future.
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