Views of Janome 360DC?

[HappyCampers]

reached the point where we (my daughter and I) are about to buy a new machine and some accessories together - looking at clothes, projects (inc bags), curtains, soft furnishing and quilting - so all sorts really

The Brother A50 seemed to fit the bill nicely, but with the (quite pricey) extension table ends up costing about the same as Janome 360DC, which comes with table as standard. The 360 also has adjustable foot pressure which the A50 lacks, might be a 'nice to have' but like the idea for quilting and heavier projects

Janome seems to be considered more robust than Brother to, so I am now wondering if that might be a better option

[Goth Gardiner]

I can't judge between the two machines. However I do find the adjustable pressure really good to have. I don't do P&Q but my dressmaking can vary between chiffon skirt overlays and making jeans.

[Iminei]

Janome all the way ... I consider that Janome make better sewing machines and Brother make better Embroidery machines.

Also not having adjustable foot pressure is a complete No No ... (and that was why I didnt like the Janome 4000 .. I traded up from it within a couple of months)

Looking at the specs on this site I cant see any mention of an extension table .. Is some other retailor offering it as an incentive?

If so are they throwing in the full quilting kit, which include the dedicated feet and all important Walking Foot.

The walking foot will be the most important quilting foot to have and is pricey (@£49 last time I looked) so something to bear in mind.

I must say your daughter is a very patient girl ... A lot of youngsters seem to want things Now Now now ... but you've done a lot of research ... which will of course pay dividends.

Regarding the expense of quilting sets/feet/accessories ... Maybe just start her off with general sewing and see how she gets on with it and which direction she takes ... graduating to quilting naturally so its not one Huge expense all at once .. maybe for next birthday or Christmas present.

My first quilting set was a birthday present from my then husband and I at 50 years old was thrilled with it! it made piecing and quilting soooo much easier

[Bumblebuncher]

I have never owned a Janome or a Brother so probably not the best to give an opinion but...
I have read probably the same reviews as you have and seen the differences that you have.  In an ideal world you would be able to sit down and test the two next to each other to  make a decision, but this is not an ideal world by any means!
In your position I would go for the Janome on the basis of stitch quality (as said by many reviewers is better) and the pressure adjustment is probably more useable than it may first appear.
I thought I would just stick in my two pennyworth as people are unlikely to have extensive knowledge of  both machines and mine is a total fence sitter thought!

[Gernella]

Brother seem to major on embroidery machines and that's as much as know about them, other than having one for my 21st birthday, which only had a straight stitch and a zig zag and weight about 20kg.  If you are buying on line, which is all I've ever done (apart from once and then I didn't even try it)  why don't you ring  a good dealer up and have a discussion on the merits of both.

Personally I like Janome, they always seem very reliable and the fact that this one has pressure adjustment is not to be sneezed at @HappyCampers .

[Silver Rose]

I've had a Janome 230DC since last summer and I absolutely love it.

[HappyCampers]

brill, thanks folks, lots of useful replies so quickly

We were planning on buying the Brother A50 soon, but once you add in the cost of the extra bits we need, the Janome works out better (more useful bits for less money) - on paper at least

Our local sewing machine shop has both in stock, so on our next visit we can dig a bit deeper and maybe actually make a purchase . . .

WRT 16 x 11" extension table it is listed as an included accessory (and on the link too) and our local supplier definitely includes it. Hard case too. The walking foot is £45 for Janome and £35 Brother, so not a deal breaker

Related question - just read the 360 manual and it doesn't seem to describe how to do twin needle sewing, I assume it can do that?

[Ouryve]

That janome is exactly the machine I would go for at that price point. It's versatile and sturdy enough for you to try out lots of different types of sewing with it.

[Iminei]

Twin needle sewing.

You will get a twin needle included which I understand can be used for topstitching ... Im sure the manual will say somewhere at lest HOW to thread TN, they also have a lot of How to videos online and of course theres Youtube

Theres a LOT of info in Janome manuals and its easy to miss something

BTW ... Obvs you cant use the needle threader with a twin needle because of the alignment of the 'eyes'

[Lowena]

I've always had Brother machines and have always been pleased with them. However I keep quiet on here as many people seem to have a down on them, I don't know why.

[Surest1tch]

Personally I'd go for the one with the adjustable foot pressure, some fabrics tend to "walk" when there's to much pressure on the foot.

[WildAtlanticWay]

I have only bought Brother and Juki brand machines and have never used a Janome, BUT I would like to point out that Brother also make Industrial sewing machines whereas Janome only make sewing machines for the domestic sewing market.

If you have the opportunity to try the machines out in store, that’s really the only way to find out which one will suit your needs best.

[Helen M]

Definitely go for pressure adjustment, I always reduce it unless it's  a very heavy fabric.

[HappyCampers]

thanks again

I think my question was possibly more about the usefulness of the feature of foot pressure, than Brother versus Janome

Having tried it out I can confirm the Brother A50 is lovely, super easy to use and decently powerful. The shop we went to said there wasn't a comparable Janome for the price - possibly true, they are a Brother dealership first and didn't really offer a comparison. In their defence we went in with a notional budget of £300 but that has shifted as our understanding of what we need from a machine has grown

Budget in the cost of the extra accessories (I would like) for curtains and quilting and the Janome 360DC actually ends up pretty much the same cost, but with one key benefit / feature in the adjustable foot pressure

Going to try it out later this week, lets hope we both like it . . .

[Celia]

I have only bought Brother and Juki brand machines and have never used a Janome, BUT I would like to point out that Brother also make Industrial sewing machines whereas Janome only make sewing machines for the domestic sewing market.

If you have the opportunity to try the machines out in store, that’s really the only way to find out which one will suit your needs best.

Don’t be too influenced by what else they make as Brother have several different types of machines and they are all made in different places and different factories with little cross over.

The only machines I have used that seem to manage quite well without a pressure adjustment is some of the Berninas.