Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent machine!
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2011
I was looking for my first sewing machine after using my mom's machine for years. I wanted something that could handle heavy fabrics, and had a few bells and whistles. My plan was to go to the local vac and sew shop around the corner, try a few machines and go from there. What I ended up doing was researching on the web, and after reading hundreds of reviews, came across the Janome 7330. Nowhere could I find a single negative comment about this machine. Hoping I made the right choice, I ordered it and when it arrived, immediately got to work finishing some half done projects.
Pros-
Its quiet. You don't have to yell to be heard over this machine.
Its able to handle several layers of heavy fabric- I tried it out on a courderoy jacket, a fleece cape with a satin lining, and a few other things with several layers to sew through. It barely even slowed down when it got to the tough parts. I recently put it to the test with several layers of vinyl and heavy drapery fabric together and it slogged on through even when I thought it couldn't possibly do it.
It can sew your buttons on for you. This is a huge perk for me as I tend to avoid patterns with buttons because I really hate sewing them on. Just lower the feed dogs, set the stitch to zig zag at the right width for your button holes, and go.
Its super easy to change the stitch and adjust the length/width.
The work light is very bright- excellent since the area I am using it is rather low-light.
Cons-
I can't seem to get the buttonholer to work, but I had this problem on my mom's last two machines too. Pretty sure its something I am doing and not the machine itself. Even without it, setting the stitch to a tight zig zag and manually stitching the right shape was a breeze.
All in all, from what I've used it so far, I am extremely pleased with this machine and am very happy to call it my own. I don't feel I could have made a better choice. If you have the budget for this machine, read the reviews, do your homework, and if it seems like a good fit, you probably will not be disappointed in it. Its a GREAT machine! Do yourself a favor and read the manual. There's a lot of info in there that you can really use.
I'm editing to add that I've been using this machine for 5 months now, and am still in love with it. Its given me no problems at all and I have used it many projects. Do take care to remove your pins rather then sewing over them though as this machine will bend, break, or swallow them whole without warning.
EDIT: I've had this machine for five years now and only after recently going on YouTube was I able to find out how to use the buttonholer. See my attached photo. The white lever directly to the left of the needle is not the correct lever to pull down to use the buttonholer attachment. As far as I can see, it does absolutely nothing. The lever in the very back that is black is the one you want. So, after 5 years of trying to make a buttonhole, I can now do so easily and perfectly. Machine still works great and I've had no issues with it.
