JUKI K 871 has 200 needles, 4.5 mm apart, which makes it a standard-gauge knitting machine.

The machine has eight pushbuttons which activate (i.e., push forward) the needles are when the ratchet tool is turned. The pushed-forward needles then help to form various stitches depending on the carriage settings.

There is no need to memorize which buttons are responsible for bringing which needles because the schematics is posted right on the buttons themselves.

The features of JUKI K 871 are very similar to those of JUKI K 861: screw-on carriage handle, S-shaped table clamps, round knob in the pattern center, three cam buttons on the carriage….

So, as of now, I trully do not see any major differences besides the color. Stay tuned as I discover more differences, pros and cons for this and other JUKI knitting machines.