The Sewing Place
Machine Talk => Sewing Machines => Sewing Machine Reviews => Topic started by: Sandra on October 12, 2020, 19:57:37 PM
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Blimey! It's quiet in this part of the forum isn't it? Helllooooo... Helloooooooo...
Is there anybody there? 0_0
Thought I'd do a review of my new machine. Might be of interest to someone.
My beloved Bernina has had a few problems in recent years. I've had it for 24 years and have used it a lot. (Really, ever such a lot!)
It's been my one and only machine and I've been thinking that I ought to retire it and purchase a new one. It's been absolutely brilliant. An excellent yet fairly basic machine. I've loved it. I intend to take it to be looked at to see if it can be fixed. I assume it probably can. I hope so anyway. It can be my spare.
Sadly, I can't afford Bernina this time, so after only very brief research of my own, and with a little bit of input and advice from a local well established shop, I decided to have a look at the Janome HD2200. It sounded like it could be a good replacement.
As many of you know, I alter and repair clothes. I need a machine to stitch heavier fabrics, like jeans, or thick coats, but also stretchy jersey, a bit of lycra, and lightweight stuff too.
The Bernina could do it, but will the Janome?
(https://i.imgur.com/hFGuOI6l.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/a6wqAukl.jpg)
Pics show what I've been used to and what I now have to get used to. :S
I called at the shop on Saturday. First impressions were that the machine was a good weight. It felt quite sturdy. The lady was explaining about the dial thingy on the side and how you turn it to change the stitch but she lost me a bit to be honest. I wasn't really taking it in. (It obviously comes with a manual so I know I'd find all that out at my leisure. )
Didn't test it out. Didn't ask if I could. Don't really care.
Brought it home and stared at it for a couple of days.
Read the manual yesterday and it says I must only use the twin needle supplied. :\
(https://i.imgur.com/U0RyRH4l.jpg)
If that's correct, then this is a bit naff. The needle on the left is the twin needle I use for shortening t-shirts, jersey dresses and trousers etc. and their needle is the one on the right. Daughter suggested very, very carefully trying my own needle to see if it'll work or not. -<
Actually stitched on the machine today. Sounds good. Feels sturdy. I like the higher clearance when lifting the foot. I think I'll find that useful.
Grabbed an old cut off hem from a pair of jeans and it stitched beautifully. Haven't tried it with the thicker upholstery thread yet, which is what I'll be using when I shorten jeans for a customer.
Tested a couple of the stitches. Tried a buttonhole. Must remember this travels in the opposite direction to my Bernina buttonhole. :S
Haven't tried all of the extra stitches. Most of them probably won't ever be used so couldn't be bothered to try them today.
Early days, but I think I like it. Feel a bit miffed that I've got to get used to it. (Don't like change) I could have stitched on my old one with my eyes closed.
Quite a bit miffed about the twin needle but need to check it out better.
Sandra.
xxx
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Could the twin needle be because the width of the hole in the needleplate? I bought a really wide twin needle, it does fit but only on a straight stitch as the hole in the plate is only 7mm.
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I think @Lilian may be right about what limits the twin needle. According to the machine’s specification, it has a maximum stitch width of 6.5mm; if that is a 4mm twin needle in your photo you might be OK. Fingers crossed it works and you start to like this machine (and that the Bernina is fixable).
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Yes width of twin needle is governed by the maximum stitch width the machine can do. That determines the size of the foot and the gap for the needle to go through.
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Thank you to all for the posts on this link.
Extremely useful info on twin needles. It would never have occurred to me that the soscong on twin needles was not standard.
@Sandra I'm sure you'll get used to the new machine. I think I need to be more like you and not like change so i wouldn't keep buying different machines :ninja:
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You would soon know what size twin needles you were limited to @annieeg but it gets very expensive when you break them. :)
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I agree with the others, the wider twin needle will probably be fine so long as you only use it for straight stitching. If you introduce any sort of zig-zag it will likely move too far and hit the plate and break.
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Looking at both twin needles.....are they different lengths?
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Ooooh....that's encouraging. I would only use the twin needle with a straight stitch, so I might be OK. :)
I'll have to check it very, very carefully and find out. It's just that there's this big scary 'CAUTION' in the manual saying,
Do not use twin needles other than the one included in the standard accessories....
How much of an idiot will I look if I damage it because I used a different one. >< :S :|
I've just checked the lengths of them too, and they're both the same length but the 'stopper' bit sits a little lower down on my needle than on theirs. Maybe 1 - 2mm...(so mine might push a little higher into the needle clamp than theirs?)
Sandra.
xxx
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If both your old Bernina and the new Janome use the standard 130/705 H type of needles the only real difference will be the width apart of the two needles.
As you can see from the bottom of this page
https://www.schmetzneedles.com/learning/pdf/schmetz-needle-chart.pdf (https://www.schmetzneedles.com/learning/pdf/schmetz-needle-chart.pdf)
twin needles come as 1.6mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm, 4.0mm, 6.0mm and 8.0mm with the spacing getting wider as the needles get thicker.
It looks from your photo that your original is probably 4.0mm (pretty standard size for topstitching heavier jersey fabric) and the new one is 2.0mm (often used on lightweight jersey). Just try with caution the first time and I'm sure it will be fine on straight stitch. After that you will have two widths to choose from.
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Oh, thanks Brenda. :) Just read your message before posting this.
Something's snapped off. -<
(https://i.imgur.com/cvQoPv8l.jpg)
I've shortened a pair of jeans and I slid the thingy off to use the free arm, and noticed a little peg of plastic broken off. Didn't force it. Slid off easily enough. Haven't clonked it or dropped it heavily on that side...
First job I've ever done on this machine. :facepalm:
The good news is that it stitched the jeans very nicely using upholstery thread in the top and regular thread in the bobbin.
Sandra.
xxx
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Re twin needles. It’s easy to k ow what size you can use. What is the widest zig zag you can sew?
Typically 5mm or 7mm. If it’s 5mm you can use up to 4mm. If it’s 7mm you can use up to 6mm. Assuming you are sewing straight stitch! Some machines now have a twin needle button which, provided you remember to put it on of course, will stop you from selecting a stitch that is too wide for a twin needle.
Might be an idea to contact the shop about the broken piece. Not sure what they will do but worth a try.
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Something's snapped off. -<
Hmmm! It looks like a guide to keep the tool box in place. If the tool box now wobbles about and is a nuisance it will be a problem, if not it will hardly matter. But it's not good that something like that happened during your first use of the machine.
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It seems to be OK without it. I don't think it'll be a problem.
Sandra.
xxx
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I agree about the twin needles, I never use wider that a 4mm anyway and it's fine in both my Elna and Janome machines.
I hope you and your new friend form a long and happy partnership.
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I hope you and your new friend form a long and happy partnership.
Me too. My old one lasted 24 years. If this one keeps going for that long, I'll be 78. :S
Sandra.
xxx
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So what are you planning to buy at 78 @Sandra ?
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I'll have to wait and see what's available in 2044. 0_0
Sandra.
xxx
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I wonder if they'll have hover machines by then... :thinking:
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@Sandra Please don't keep us in suspense - have you tried your twin needle and does it work?
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@Sandra , I bet your Bernina is fixable. I found someone close by that fixed my Bernina 1015 for less than half the quoted price to send away to an official Bernina shop.
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Haven't tried the twin needle yet but I will. I feel more confident about trying it now. I'll be sure to report back when I do.
I'll definitely take the Bernina in at some point. I feel pretty sure it'll be fixable. Hope so -< anyway.
Sandra.
xxx
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@Sandra always hand crank it round first! :)
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Ladies and gentlemen.....
(https://i.imgur.com/e54BNj9l.jpg)
Nothing to worry about. :)
It'd be nice if they added, ...'however, if you only need to use your twin needle for straight stitching, please ignore this scary, doom-laden message.'
And next time, I might leave the power switch on when I change the needle.
Pah! :P
I've used it for another pair of jeans today. Better quality ones than yesterday so it struggled a teeny bit on the thick side seam. It still did a nice stitch.
Sandra.
xxx
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Bravo!!
(https://media1.tenor.com/images/afd9ea21f90867c581f2717e93d33465/tenor.gif)
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Oooh @Sandra I bet you held your breath when you first tried it!
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Oooh @Sandra I bet you held your breath when you first tried it!
Just went really slowly. 0_0
As soon as I'd turned the wheel once by hand, I knew it was going to be OK. :thumbsup:
Sandra.
xxx
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My old Singer packed up after more than 50 years and I was told it was irreparable.
Bought a Singer 4432 "heavy duty" but it seemed to really labour on heavy duty materials- loud thumping noise- and was returned.
This Janome sounds as if it might be OK but could any owners give advice? I might need to use it on say 5 layers of close woven cotton sheeting. Would really appreciate others' experience.
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Hello @julelin
I'm still trying to get used to this machine. Work has pretty much dried up for me so I haven't used it as much as I might have done in normal times.
I recently replaced a zip in some denim trousers. Not really jeans as we think of them. These were trousers made out of a fairly soft denim, and it stitched about 7 layers on the waistband at the top of the zip. :) I went slowly but it managed.
Then I came to stitch the little bar-tack at the bottom of the fly...hmmm....about 4 or 5 layers, and it WOULD NOT stitch. :angry: Tried about four times and it just spat up a birds nest underneath. I gave up and used another machine in the end.
Now, I don't know if this was user error, -< but today I replaced a zip in some regular trousers, and the same thing happened again at the bottom of the zip. Got it to work at my second attempt by approaching the stitching from the opposite direction.
Five layers of cotton sheeting?....hang on a tick....
Right, I've just found out a scrap piece of Egyptian cotton sheeting and folded it up into 6 layers. It stitched absolutely fine. It's nice quality cotton, fine and soft. I don't know if you intend to use a thicker or stiffer fabric than this.
I added a folded over piece of lightweight denim and it stitched that too. So eight layers here and no funny thumping noise.
Sandra.
xxx