opinions on the MC 10000

I have the Brother and would not part with it. IMHO it is the best engineered machine on the market. It will accept floppies for designs from the internet, and sews like a dream. It seems to me that Janome has variations in their software from model to model------that's bad.

Lorrie 12 months ago I upgraded my old Janome (1974 vintage) to a 10K and did so because of my previous machine's reliability. (It is still going strong and has never ever been serviced). I know the 10K isn't cheap but then as the saying goes - you get what you pay for. I like everything about my machine from its smooth powerful motor to its flexibility and improved lighting. It comes with all the extras including the walking foot which is wonderful for quilting. I connected it to my PC and have access to 1,000s of free embroidery designs available on the internet thus saving many dollars on memory cards. Just download the design to a folder on your PC then download it directly to your machine or via a memory card, the choice is yours. When I purchased the machine, the Customiser was included in the package along with a box of threads, an extra memory card and a CD with 487 designs from the MC8000 and MC9000. Software updates are available free from the Janome website and very easy to install. During the time I have had the machine, I have really put it through it's paces and it has performed beautifully. If it is as reliable as it's predecessor I can expect many years of enjoyment. I can't comment on other brands of machines but can recommend the 10K. Whichever brand of machine you decide to buy, I hope you have many hours of trouble free happy sewing :o)

A lot of people adore the Brother machines and I have yet to hear anything bad of them. A couple of my friends own them as well and I have worked with them prior to buying.

However, I own the MC 10000 which was just updated to version 3 this month. So far very good and very quiet machine. So quiet that I cannot hear it running and have to mute the TV volume to hear if it is still running while doing embroidery in the kitchen.

I have the Janome Digitizer 10000 software as well as the Brother PE-5 software. The Brother has superior (i.e. it digitizes quicker and more accurate in color selection) software in my humble opinion though. Hopefully the Digitizer 10000 upgrade will correct this when it comes out (some of the *.dll files are old for XP). On the other hand, the Brother is a far noisier machine and can be made much quieter if you place it on a padded quilt or something to deaden the sound (an evil sales trick I discovered from my dealer). Seemed the Brother broke more thread although I admit it was loaded with some Madera Rayon thread which breaks pretty easily over the R-A Poly thread.

The Japanese seem to be building some really good machines, being I was a Pfaff owner prior.

BP~

The Brother has a larger LCD display and more accurate colour depth for colour identification. The Brother machine is much more ergonomic to use than the Janome 10K (only watched others tie their arms in knots trying to get to the top and back of the machine to set it up). The operations and friendliness of the Brother is incredible. It uses standard bobbins unlike the 10K. We love ours and after meeting with some 10K owners for training sessions are very glad we did not pick a 10K.

However If you are going to switch from embroidery to sewing and back a lot then perhaps the Janome is a better choice. The Brother is a little long in the conversion.

To correct an incorrect statement in the above paragraph: All Janome models, including the MC10000, the MC10001 and the other new embroidery machines, use the same class 15 standard bobbins that the Brothers use.

For many people, the choice of a sewing machine is about how the machine "feels". Most often it's not that one machine is superior to others, it just feels right to the user. Having used a 10K, I can't imagine anyone having to "tie their arms in knots trying to get to the top and back of the machine to set it up". It's very easy to fasten the hoop from the front of the machine (a one step operation), and threading the machine is simple. Depending on the height of the table on which the machine is sitting, someone who is vertically challenged may have to stand (or use an adjustable chair) to better view the thread path. But they would have to do that for many machines.

When you invent something, and obtain the patent, you have the best opportunity to make that something simple and easy to use.

gwh

I pick up my 10000 this afternoon, I dearly wanted the brother 3000D BUT I have decided to go for the jamnome for a few reasons, I like the way that you dont need an extra embroidery attachment for the machine, My old brother super Galaxie has the seperate bed like all the brother sew/emb machines and it will be nice to be able to use the embroidery feature without having to go and get the embroidery bed. I think the most important thing with the Janome though is how you can update to the newest version of the machine by software, £3000 is such a high price to pay for a machine, when the next machine comes out I think it will be much better to update and always have the latest machine than to be stuck with the old model. Also my brother has been nothing but trouble and when I bought that it was the top range machine at the time.

Its nice to see there are so many mc 10000 owners here.

You are telling me I can go to the corner store and buy a standard Singer Bobbin and put in in my Janome 10000? I don't think so. You have been in the Janome environment too long and think it is standard.

As far as ergonimics,I have watched many Janome owners standing up to thread a new colour 8 and 10 times for every pattern they sew out. Perhaps after a few months of it they can do it without looking but the mechanism is down inside the top of the machine and not visible from the sitting position.

Janome machines, since 1921, have used the standard "class 15" bobbin that is also used in some Singers, most, if not all Brothers, Whites, Kenmores, and many others. But be careful. I believe the current "standard Singer Bobbin" is actually a class 66, which may work in your Brother. But your Brother (class 15) bobbins won't work in a Singer that takes class 66. The top and bottom of the class 15 bobbin are flat. The top and bottom of the class 66 bobbins are rounded. The class 66 bobbin is not as high as the class 15.

With the machine at the proper height from the floor and matching chair, it's not a problem.

gwh

Just for FYI - to add to the comments made below...

Bobbin types and/or classes should not be referred to in general anymore... Singer uses at least 4-5 differnt styles of bobbin shape - one looks real close to a class 15, but it's overall height is higher, Janome uses class 15 (metal or plastic depending on the age/style but not interchangeable) , Brother uses class 15 plastic in some of their machines, the emb/sewing machines and emb only use "brother's own" style (there is a generic...), Viking uses 4 different styles, etc.

Just something to keep in mind... Beowulf

Wow! That certainly is news to me. I never realized I had tied my arms up in knots (lol). I sit at the front of the machine and never have needed to stand to attach the hoop or thread the machine. Your eyeballs need to be below the top of the machine, or a really short person, in order not to see how to thread it. I rely on touch anyhoo to thread it which I can do very quick. I just lift up the spool shaft with my finger, slide on the spool and cap, let it spring back down, and pull thread around the chrome piece to the front. No biggie and I don't stand since my genes are primarily lazy. Hoop attachment is also a reach through the front and half twist of the lock nut.

B~

I have the Babylock Ellageo which is the same as the Brother 8500 (I think that's the right one). Anyway I love it. Babylock is the most user friendly of anything I have found. I also have a Babylock Espree that I started out with and a Babylock Imagine serger. They are great!!!

Linda