JanomeHD3000 Heavy-Duty Sewing Machine with 18 Built-in Stitches + Hard Case

I bought this machine back in 2011. This is a great machine! It's a workhorse, very reliable and easy to use, and it's quiet too! It truly loves up to being a heavy duty machine and to the Janome name. I sew clothes for myself, and costumes for theater productions, so it gets lots use out of it. There has been times where I have sat in front of this machine and sewn for days, and even weeks straight. No joke. I have sewn everything on this machine, from very light weight sheer fabrics, knits, suiting, denims and heavy upholstery fabrics. It sews everything! Even nylon tent fabric!If you are in the market for a new sewing machine, don't go out and buy a cheap, $100 machine. Particularly if you sew a lot. I've gone through many many cheap machines in the past ten years, so I am glad that I saved my pennies to buy this machine, which in the long run, has saved me pennies by not breaking down like the others have done.I have had this machine for almost four years now. And it very rarely jams; if it does, it's usually because I have done something silly, like forgetting to put the pressure foot down or threading it the wrong way. One of the many things I love about this machine is that it doesn't jam when you accidentally run off the fabric. Because of this, I have no worries in teaching my niece how to sew on this machine; she couldn't hurt it (and of course, she would have supervision while using it).I also love the various feet and stich options. I have probably used every single stich at least once; they are all just very useful. I have read a number of reviews and someone said that the button hole stich wasn't very good and another said they couldn't get it to work. If I had to change something on this machine, I would change the button hole setting, which is a three-step process (the person who couldn't get it to work was probably stuck on step one). Many machines have a single step button-holer which are much easier to make than the three-steppers. I typically don't do button holes very often anyway, but when I do, I like to finish them off by hand since hand done button holes are a whole lot stronger and nicer looking than any machine made button hole.Overall, I am so glad I bought this machine!! I love it so much, that if this machine ever breaks down (and I really don't think that's going to happen any time soon), I would buy it again. Janomes are some of the best sewing machines on the market today and if this one isn't exactly in your price range or if you don't sew a whole lot, then go for one of the Janomes that are a step or two down from this one.

This is a fantastic machine for someone who needs a basic general machine and they want to invest in something that that will last them long enough to decide what (if any) more specialized type of machine they might want. And it's a wonderful backup for when your other machine needs to be sent out for regular maintenance or repair.I have been sewing for decades. First I was mostly a garment sewer, and later I started quilting. I can do most garment and home dec sewing on this machine. But I don't like it for quilting and it's not the machine I choose for buttonholes, blind hemming, piping, couching, or other specialized techniques that need fancy feet.I originally bought this to use when my fancy Viking Sapphire 870 was out for service (may it RIP, it's dead now). What I like about this little Janome is its simplicity. My other machines I need to have the manual handy for a lot of projects when I want to do something special. With this little guy I just put in a new needle, a full bobbin, turn it on, select my stitch, width and length, and go. It doesn't matter if it's been 2 years, this machine is so simple it's like a bicycle, I don't need instructions.I also like that is is completely mechanical so there are no computerized parts that can go sideways leading to an expensive repair. It is also very unlikely to get zapped if I happen to forget to unplug it during an electrical storm.The important parts in this machine are metal. That makes it a little heavier, but it doesn't get bogged down by thicker fabrics or tight weaves. Hemming denim? No problem for the motor, though to be honest I need to use a little jig or a hump jumper to get over the seam allowances when they are folded over each other. Not a big deal - I need the same kind of jig on a more expensive machine.I saw someone said they wanted a machine that could sew through 2 layers of fabric and batting so they could quilt. My response to that is this is not the machine you're looking for. Yes it can absolutely sew through that, but this machine is not for quilting. Yes you can piece a top with it, but the harp space is too small quilt anything bigger than a small lap quilt or a wall hanging and there's no walking foot and I don't think it can do freemotion but if it can, it's not going to be fun in that tiny space.I had this tucked away for a couple of years after I replaced the Viking with a 6700p. I wasn't really doing anything with it until 2 months ago when I had to send in my 6700p for repair. The issue was difficult for the technician to reproduce and that machine was out for service for over 2 months. I couldn't wait that long to sew so I ended up working on a stack of items I had piled up that needed hemming and repairs and I needed to make a curtain panel too. And that's what I did with this machine. I hemmed and repaired that stack, then made the curtain panel.After that I started sewing up some blocks for my next quilt project. The piecing kind of bogged me down on this machine. I'm a little spoiled by my much more expensive 6700p. It has an automatic thread cutter with a foot remote and a knee lift and all other kinds of features. I explain the experience with a metaphor: imagine needing to precisely chop 16 pounds of vegetables, different kinds, and you used to have an industrial food processor, but now all you have is a knife and a small cutting board. So no, I don't ever want to piece quilts on this machine. Ever. That's totally OK. That isn't what this machine is for.Being that this is heavy duty and mechanical I expect it will serve me for a couple decades of occasional use. And I could take this to a class because it's a lot lighter and more compact than the beastly 6700p.If you'll be doing basic general sewing and you want a simple machine to last you many years and give you little to no trouble; this is for you. If you are getting started and know you'll get something more specialized after you figure out what you want to make most often in your hobby, and then keep this as a backup: this is for you.If you're not sure what you'll be sewing but know you want to sew I recommend getting a non heavy duty machine with lots of features in that entry level price range. Make sure it has an extended plexi sewing table (many come with this). You'll come to appreciate that flush access to the needle regardless of your project type. Come back to this machine if you really need something heavy duty, or you want a super simple machine to last you many years.

I was brand loyal to anther sewing machine brand for 32 years. Was in the market for a heavier duty machine as the model I had started having trouble with fleece, light weight jean and sweat-shirt material. I had had it fixed a few years back, cleaned it routinely but it was failing quicker and quicker even using some tricks with putting tissue and/or parchment paper on both sides of the fleece. I did some research and the brand I was so loyal to has not been getting good reviews on their products and it seems that you are now just paying for the "name". So I came across Janome and started again with research on the brand. After pushing my purchase off for 2 months due to the price of the machine, I finally purchased it. It was the best decision I have made for a sewing machine. It arrived very well packaged to avoid damage, instructions were easy to follow. The machine is light weight, easy to setup, runs great, plentiful storage, plenty of extras. Have tried it on light weight cotton pants that I needed to hem, it did not cause bunching of the fabric. Used it to hem black out curtains for my front and back door, went through tripled fabric without issue. Will be using it to make a lightweight jean skirt soon and will update this review once I do. Machine has plenty of stitch options for general home use, runs smoothly, easy to wind bobbins and love the ability to wind a bobbin without having to undo the machine set up. The bonus needle threader is a great addition, easy to use and gets you up and sewing much quicker. I have nothing bad to say about this machine and will be sewing much more often now!