There are so many sewing machines on the market, options as well as opinions on each machine will always vary! Tastes may change according to personal sewing preferences and what type of items you are sewing. I encourage you to listen to the opinions that line up with your needs and the textiles you plan to sew.
For me, I sew primarily linen and cotton garments, linen and cotton toys, sometimes little house decor things and I do a little quilting BUT most important to mention, I sew almost daily. I chose the Janome HD-3000 over 10 years ago because it’s considered heavy duty (which is great for daily use) and does a pretty wide range of sewing.
This Janome machine has high reviews and is easy to pack up and take with you if you want to sew with a friend. It has 18 stitch options, of which I have used quite a few over the years. It comes with a great buttonhole foot attachment and system that I find very easy to use. The mechanics are fairly straight forward and I find it easy to take apart the basic areas to clean. I need to do this often because I sew with natural fibers. The lint struggle is real if you don’t clean it out! It is also not difficult to find videos online that show you how to clean and tend to your machine. The drop in bobbin is a great feature making it fast and easy to change out. It has metal casing and gears which I think contributes to its longevity. This means very few plastic parts that can become brittle with age. It’s just so sturdy that I can imagine it lasting for even more decades. This Janome makes me think sometimes “They do make them like they used to.”
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I have a “Little Gem” janome as well as another larger machine which I don’t really use. The “Little Gem” is ideal to travel with or take to class. I do most of my quilt piecing on it. It has spectacular reviews and I’ve had mine for a long time…I bought it just as they introduced the computerized model. I tell people it is a tough little work horse…like it is made by Playskool to withstand the knocks of traveling. People are always wanting to buy it, and I have turned down twice what I paid for it. My niece took it home with her once when she wanted to learn to sew, and enjoyed it for about 6 months before we got the travel bug and I wanted it back.. It is a great machine, simple to operate, clean and easy to carry. Janomes are great, and the dealer was awesome.
Great article! I agree. The Janome HD-3000 was my daily sewing machine for my small business for 5 years. I only upgraded to an industrial 3 years ago for speed. I’m sure it has many sewing years left and I have it stored as a back up or travel machine for now.
I have a Janome and love it. I have done more with it than I ever expected to and it hasn’t let me down. I’m thinking of getting another smaller one that will use the 7mm feet (there are two I want but cannot use on my 9mm machine) and it could be a backup if my machine is in service, if I want to sew with someone else or travel with one. Looking at something like this or the 3160, but I have no hesitation getting another Janome. My friend sews with one and my sister has 2. I used to have a Bernina, and on thing I LOVE about the Janome over the Bernina is that feet and accessories are much easier to get and less pricey — also allowing you to do more and more easily.
I have a Janome HD3000. It has been great for me. I also sew mostly natural fabrics.
I wouldn’t take a Janome if you paid me. Back in 1998 my husband purchased me the Rolls Royce of Janomes…top of the line, all the bells and whistles as well as the scan unit and soft wear…spent almost $4000 on it. Within 3 years the driveshaft broke for the first time. Within the next 2 years it broke 3 more times each time Janome refused to either repair or replace it even though they told my dealer that it was a known design defect causing the driveshaft to break.
Save your money avoid this brand,
Thank you for your truth!
Ditto on my HD-3000. It cannot get through even three layers of twill without getting the timing out of sync. IOW I cannot hem pants with it. Three repairs later and I now only use it for the non-straight stitches, of which many seem to do much better than straight stitch. I now have a 70-year-old Viking that does straight stitch and seems like it would sew through a sheet of copper if I tried.
Great article. I went straight to google to see where I could get one. Thanks for the recommendation
I have 2 Janome machines; one is this model in black. They are truly workhorses! My HD sewed through several layers of denim like butter. Great machine! Love my Janomes!