Boscobd

I was at a craft/sewing/quilt fair today and stopped at the Koala Studios booth. I fell in love with the SewMate Plus IV with the OutBack Leaf Extension setup. My sewing space is in our diningroom on the diningroom table (an oval table not the best for larger projects). The SewMate configuration will fit perfectly in the space (I don't even have to remove any other furniture pieces from the room) and can double as a dining table if needed (we don't have a lot of occasions to actually have a formal dining experience at our house) even if it's a bit awkward for sitting. What's the general opinion about the Koala Studios cabinets? Quality? Bang for the buck?
TIA for input!

Julie in WA

I have this Koala Cabinet and I love it! It is such a solid piece of furniture...no bouncing when sewing. No moving around as there are locks on the wheels. It is so easy to open and close. The drawers are very handy for keeping my tools at my fingertips.

Mine has the remote controlled electric platform that lowers or raises the machine into and out of the cabinet. I bought a floor model from a shop (that needed to get it out of their showroom) so it had the extra feature, but I would not spend extra money for it. It is the most expensive piece of furniture in my house!

I have the Koala in my dining room too. The extension table is so useful when quilting, especially when I pull my dining table up on my left side...I do not have to bear the weight of the quilt at all!

Vanuatu Jill

I have admired them from afar-alas, too expensive for my budget! Would give anything (almost) for one!

Boscobd

Thank you for the input. I was really impressed by the quality of the floor models at the fair. This one has the remote controlled platform also - one of the big selling points for me as my current setup has the machine sitting on top of the table rather than flush with the table. The craft fair promotion offers free delivery and setup, a free chair, and a discount on the base piece. The free delivery and setup is really worth it IMO. Since we don't use the diningroom table for dining very often, it seems to be just the ticket for my quilting/sewing obsession. I figure it'll be my birthday/Christmas/anniversary gift for several years to come!

scowlkat

Before you jump on that one, check out www.kenssewingcenter.com. They have a brand of furniture with their name but I believe it is made by either Horn or Koala. They have the auto-lift table as well. You might save some money and they are about as honest as anyone could wish for.

Honchey

You cannot compare the Horn to the Koala cabinets. IMHO The Koala is King. The horn has sharp corners whereas the Koala has rounded ones the quality and craftmanship is far above the Horn cabinet. I have both.

Maia B

I have both Horn and Koala cabinets and love both. It's true about the sharper corners on the older Horn, but that's it. Both super quality IMO

emerald46

I have 2 Koala's the Plus IV upstairs and an older one down. They are the best.

jpmaroni

love my Koala cabinet.

mandyk

I ha e both. By far the Koala is far superior.