Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Janome HD1000 Heavy-Duty Sewing Machine with 14 Built-In Stitches

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2013

I just wanted a simple mechanical machine, no fancy stitches or anything, and this one looked to fit all of my requirements. Its very sturdy, and arrived in working order. (from Mr. Vac and Mrs. Sew, via Amazon) I have two other machines, basic Brothers that I've had for 5-10 years, they are good little machines but they get a bit cranky when it comes to heavier or thicker fabrics.

I love how quiet it is, my other two machines are both a lot louder, no one in the house could hear me sewing from the other rooms on this machine :) Its very heavy and solid, no bouncing around while it sews. It was not too hard to thread, the instructions are very clear and easy to follow, and it wound a nice even bobbin. The manual is large and easy to read and flip through for help.

The bobbin is the old school front load kind, with the metal casing and little latch, my old Brother has the same system (it looks exactly the same actually) so it was familiar to me.

The thread cutter is a nice touch, I haven't used it much yet, its a hidden blade up on the upper part of the machine, near the needle threader, pull your project up, hook the thread into it and tug to cut the thread.

The light is bright enough, it could be a bit brighter, but I can always get one of those stick on lights if I need more illumination. It has a drop feed mode, the lever to drop the feed dogs is easy to use, and you can raise the presser foot extra high for thicker fabrics.

I only have two minor complaints-
-the on/off switch is located behind the foot controller/power plug, its a bit awkward and fumble-y to reach it.
-for bobbin winding, the stop motion isn't automatic like on my other machines when you slide the bobbin spindle over. You have to go to the handwheel and turn the 'stop motion' wheel before you start winding to disengage the needle. (and tighten it back to sew again when you're finished winding!!)

Those are small complaints, and I'm sure I will become accustomed to them after a bit more use.

Otherwise I love this machine and am very pleased with the purchase! So far I've only sewed cotton and batting, but I plan to use it on some glitter vinyl, laminated cotton, and heavier fabrics when I get a chance.

it arrived with a hard case that slips over the top (the machine's handle pokes through to form the case handle, there are no latches or anything to hold it to the machine, and it won't fit over a spool of thread on the spindle) 4 clear plastic bobbins, a tube of oil, 4 feet, a seam ripper, two screwdrivers, and two red felt disks, the foot controller and plug, and a hem guide. I'm kind of excited to test out the rolled hem foot, I've never used one before :)

EDIT/UPDATE:
after about 7 months of use, something in the handwheel broke and it will no longer wind bobbins. I have one of those bobbin winder machine thingies that I prefer to use, so I haven't bothered to get it repaired or send it back in. I must have twisted it too far or the wrong way when trying to engage the stop motion and something in there snapped. so, be very careful when messing with the stop motion part of the handwheel :P

BUT it is a total workhorse, I use it every day to sew, mostly through layers of cotton, twill, batting, and elastic. Easy to clean, open up, and oil, and very user friendly as far as maintenance goes. I still LOVE this machine :) (the placement of the on/off switch still bugs me though, such an awkward spot)

20 people found this helpful

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sevenonseven

No frills, excellent machine

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2011

Style: Janome HD1000Verified Purchase

I was torn between this Janome HD1000 and the Singer Heavy Duty. Even though I'm a sewing novice, I personally dislike the new wave of plastic bodied machines. I was using a beautiful robin's egg blue Singer from the '60s or '70s--older than I am!--and it was great until perplexing tension issues began to crop up. I didn't want a slick computerized machine taking its place, so the Singer Heavy Duty immediately caught my eye, due to its 'traditional' looking body as well as exciting features such as a drop-in bobbin and 20 plus stitches, one step buttonhole, etc. However, the lackluster reviews, complaints of a very short lifespan, and overall disintegration of the Singer brand's quality left me wary.

The metal body of the Janome is amazing. Sure, it may be heavier, but the overall durability seems greater than any plastic. The bobbin is front loading, which was frightening at first (no 'jam free' guarantee) but it hasn't been a problem at all. The metal casing that holds the bobbin seems very sturdy and made to last. Though the flashiness of a thousand different stitches is alluring, I realistically use only... Two or so for my garment sewing. I haven't touched any other stitches yet, so 14 is more than enough for me. Those who are doing projects that show off stitchwork might want more variety, but again, I think the Janome's offerings are more than adequate for most people.

As I said, I'm relatively new to sewing machines (I used to hand sew everything!), but I was able to use the Janome soon after it was unpacked. I had to look up how to load the bobbin, and the inner hand wheel was initially stubborn (I used one of those grippy rubber jar-openers to help--very useful!), and everything flew from there. The automatic needle threader is an amazing luxury; at first, I thought it might not really be necessary, but I absolutely am in love with it. And oddly enough, I received a hard case even though I thought this Janome came with a soft cover (but no complaints here!)

I first felt guilty about being unfaithful to my older Singer, but this Janome is quickly becoming an indispensible new friend.

EDIT: It's a little over a year later (9/12) and this machine is humming away beautifully. I still use the metal Bernina bobbins, and they work very well. I did have some frustrating issues with getting the bobbin thread picked up, as it seemed to get caught and jam, but I realized that this was due to my own inexperience and stupidity! As I'm sure is common knowledge for everyone else, I only needed to make sure I was bringing the needle all the way back up to its highest position before attempting to pull up the bobbin thread. I only mention this embarrassing incident in case others may have had the same problem, as I had the initial reaction of blaming the machine rather than myself.

Anyway, I've sewn quilting-quality cotton to oilcloth and several layers (seriously, like 4-5) of heavy cotton duck (to make a heavy-duty saddle bag for my bike.. it went quite well, considering I pulled the plan from thin air--I'm so proud, haha) and the Janome worked right through them. I occasionally had some difficulty with the layers and layers of folded cotton duck, but that's where the extra high presser foot really came in handy! A sewing machine isn't essential in my life, as I'm a casual, hobby sewer, but I love my Janome like I would an extra arm (and who doesn't need an extra arm sometimes?), though without the self-consciousness an additional appendage would bring.

650 people found this helpful

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Chewie

A bad experience with HD1000 purchase.

Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2015

Style: Janome HD1000Verified Purchase

I am sewer of many years and I wanted a basic heavy duty machine that had all the basic stitches asI did not need a fancy computerized stitching for fancy embroidery etc. After looking through many positive reviews online, I selected the Janome HD1000. It looked like the perfect machine for my needs and the Amazon price was very reasonable. Since I was an experienced sewer I thought that with the aid of a good manual and You-tube I would be capable of setting up a new machine without difficulty. The machine arrived quickly (Prime member) and I consequently spent a week of frustration trying to see why the machine was not working properly. I followed the manual and in the trouble shooting section, it said that a thread might be caught in the shuttle race and described what to do. It was difficult to open and replace the shuttle case which holds the bobbin case and bobbin. I tried that numerous times and the machine seemed to work for a bit and then it would seize. I couldn’t turn the wheel manually and I could feel great resistance. I stopped and tried to clean the shuttle area again. It would work for a few stitches and it would again seize or would break the needle.
I looked at the Janome.com website and couldn’t find a phone number to call about the problem. After much searching on the web, I finally found the Janome Customer Service Center which is 1-800-631-0184. I spoke to someone about the problem and I asked her if I could bring it to the local Janome dealer to diagnosis the problem. She said that I could not and I would have to send it back to Amazon. I have decided to send it back to Amazon for a refund and possibly buy a sewing machine locally although it might cost quite a bit more.
After this experience, I looked at the negative reviews of the machine. There were a number of people who had problems with the shuttle case. It is a vertical shuttle case and not a drop-in bobbin case. Perhaps that makes it more prone to misalignment. Perhaps one in a hundred machines have problems like this but if you have the one in a hundred machine that has problems, it doesn’t work properly 100% of the time.

149 people found this helpful

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Phyllis Brode

Great Machine

Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2014

Style: Janome HD1000Verified Purchase

I bought this machine about a year ago and had not taken it out of the box because I was using my basic Kenmore and basically was too lazy to switch over. Then I was not sewing as much, life got busy and kind of forgot I had it in my sewing closet. This past Christmas (2013) my daughter (on a whim and because it was a good deal) bought me a Singer Heritage machine, computerized and beautiful. I began sewing on it - was much better than the Kenmore but almost felt too lightweight. However, I loved the automated tension adjustment and ease of stitching. But then needed to make a buttonhole. That particular option would not work and much to my complete and utter disappointment, there is NO recourse for obtaining help except to go to the Singer web-site and watch the video that does not address how to make a buttonhole much less how to troubleshoot. There are NO contact numbers and one is basically left with nothing in place to address such problems. I boxed up the Singer and pulled out my Janome and it was the best machine I've EVER sewn on (I've been sewing about 45 years.) The machine is solid, heavy and stitching is sure. Everything about this machine is sound - it even sounded more substantial than the others. I just finished my first buttonhole on the Janome and it was a breeze and took me less than 5 minutes. And to think I've had the machine in my closet for about 3 years! <kicking myself in the butt> The machine is a wonderful machine. No fancy bells and whistles but enough extras to handle most sewing projects. There are also numerous youtube videos for operation and the manual is concise and easy to understand. I'm looking forward to many years of operation with this machine.

17 people found this helpful

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leftyjewel

good all purpose machine

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2012

Style: Janome HD1000Verified Purchase

This recent purchase of the Janome HD 1000 is my third sewing machine during my lifetime. I bought a Kenmore when I graduated from High School and used it to make many, many articles of clothing ranging from dresses to suits to baby clothes until I quite literally wore it out. Then I replaced it with another Kenmore about the time my daughters were starting to learn to sew in 4-H and the three of us literally wore it out. We made clothes, quilts, repaired jeans, etc. until they grew up and I gradually stopped sewing so much. Recently I pulled out the old trustworthy Kenmore to find that I could no longer get it to do a zigzag stitch and my hubby confirmed that I had worn the mechanism so much that I might as well get a new machine. :)

As I searched for a replacement I decided to try a Janome as I had discovered that they supply the machines for Kenmore. I also have a two year old Janome serger and just love it. I decided to get a machine that would do all I require without going overboard on too many bells and whistles and so wound up with the choice of this model.

I have had this machine for about a week now and have tried it for a few projects to get the hang of it. I just found that I am going to be a first time grandma and must get working on all those little clothes and quilts!

So how does it stack up? Well, here is what I think.....

The machine came with an instruction book, two screw drivers,a seam riper, a small container of oil, extra needles, four bobbins, a package of needles, and four presser feet.The presser feet include an all purpose foot for straight and zigzag stitching, buttonhole foot, zipper foot and rolled hemming foot. The zipper foot is better than the old one I had and the rolled hemming foot is a nice option although I usually do that with my serger.

The machine has a side bobbin insertion with a metal bobbin housing which is like my first Kenmore and I prefer that to the drop-in bobbin of my last machine. It makes for better adjustment of stitch tension in my opinion and just works better. It also includes a needle threader which I just love now that I am wearing bifocals. I know I will use that feature a lot! There are fourteen built-in stitch variations which are more than enough, especially if you do most of your stretch sewing with a serger like I do. The buttonhole stitch is built in but the buttonhole foot is not that great in my opinion. Fortunately, I discovered that my old presser feet from my Kenmore fit like a dream so I can make buttonholes just like I have done in times past and am happy. I might not have been so happy if that were not the case. I have tried out the machine on a pair of denim Capri's that I needed to mend and while it growled at me a little, the stitches were perfect so I can put up with that. The instruction book is not nearly as detailed as my former ones, but for an experienced seamstress, this is no problem.

Bottom line, this is a good all-around machine for normal sewing tasks and will serve most people well although a novice might be a little confused by the lack of instructions. Also, don't expect a great number of accessories, just the basics. I knew all of that going into this purchase so I am happy and maybe this will be the last machine I will ever have to buy.

52 people found this helpful

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Claude P.

Excellent Sewing Machine

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2023

Style: Janome HD1000Verified Purchase

I purchased this Janome sewing machine for my wife after purchasing a well-known brand that didn't work properly at all the bobbin holder assembly was plastic and thread was bunching up at the bottom of the stitches of course we returned this machine and once we researched and checked the features of this machine I placed the order the truth is everything about this machine is excellent, just so you know my wife is more in love with this machine vs me, yes I do recommend this product.

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Allen Broussard

Quality

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2024

Style: Janome HD1000Verified Purchase

Easy to use & learn. Performs really well.

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Amazon Customer

Noisy and slow.

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024

Style: Janome HD1000Verified Purchase

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My honest review. This is not different sewing machine from others. I been sewing for decades and have several machines brands. I use my machines until will screem “enough is enough”. Not different expectations on this one. I been having problems with tension, not yet get in the point exact to get clean stitch. Keep bursting the thread and doing tangles sometimes. But, I keep threading the machine, taking off the burst thread in the bobbin case and keep sewing because I have to finish what needs to be done. Just a little advice, lower your expectations in this one, it is not different than other, just a homey sewing machine.