The wife is tryng to choose between either one of these machines and we are confused as to which is the better option. The Janome comes with the Customizer 1000 Plus software and they are doing a deal at the moment for aroung AUS$2500. The Brother, with the PE-Design software comes in at AUS$3000. From what I can see the PE software is much better than the Janome Customizer, but it appears that the Janome has a 'gigahoop' option that can take in a single session a 9x8 area. The brother apparently only has 3 hoop options but does seem to have better arangements of embroidery cards.
Has anyone experience with either and can make recomendations as to what may be the pros and cons of each. Oh.. the reason for the purchase is that out Janome Memorycraft 8000 has finaly bitten the dust.
I have a Brother ULT 2002D and I absolutely LOVE it... It has never given me a minute of trouble, and has been used daily for 3 straight years..........I was never a digitizer, although I have PE Design, 3 or 4, which by the way I would part with inexpensively.........
We have a ULT2002 and absolutely love. Taking courses with Janome 10000 people we are darn glad we didn't buy one of those. Not very user friendly and not very ergonomic in comparison.
Have had less trouble with the Janome than the Brother from a purely repair oriented view. I sell Pfaff but do like the Janome lines and the company. Unless your really going to be doing a lot of digitizing either software is good. Most of the time I recommend Embird Probably the best advice is to join the Yahoo groups that support both machines. There is a wealth of information there both for support and for problems. I was impressed with the work the Janome did over the Brother and in the last few embroidery related classes I have taken it seemed to perform better was very user friendly and did the work with no problems. It is a nice looking machine also, very curvey as one customer described it. I have not had a chance to work much with the Brother but the other brother machines are good so probably not much difference. Just like the way the Janome's sew, embroidery and how easy they are to learn.
I can't comment on Brother because I've never used one as I've owned Janomes for more years than I can remember.
Can you swap the Customizer for something else? Embird is more popular and it does more......like converting formats for any machine (except .art). While the Gigahoop can be done in one hooping the design does need to be split into 'a' and 'b' parts, once part 'a' has been stitched you need to remove the hoop from the machine (don't unhoop the fabric) and turn it around so side 'b' can be stitched. The two parts of the design should line up but can be jogged if this doesn't happen.
This new range of Janomes are better than the older .sew format in that they use CF cards, although you probably realise that already, the cards are readily available for a few dollars.
Janome 10001and 300e's use compact flash cards, the same as in a digital camera A $30 card reader that takes the flash card in and transfers designs using a computer. Any computer. Macs are useable as well as PC, and even better is a lap top with a PCMCIA slot and card holder. The best part is that you can fit upwards of
1000 designs on a single 256 mb card (which are cheap and easily available anywhere) The 10001 also supports a direct connection via USB to the computer.Also useable and this is what I have seen done is that cards can be loaded through the CF slots in a printer with no card R/W needed. Most of the Giga hoops now need to be removed and turned to complete the designs. This is because of the limitations of the harp area on the machines.
My sister and I each purchased the Janome 9500 in January. At hat time, an upgrade was available and the shop loaded that into the sewing machine for us. However, they screwed up a little on mine and loaded the upgrade for the 300E, which totally overwrote the 9500 software. When I got it home, I had a 9500 that wouldn't let me do a straight stitch. I was royally pissed, since the nearest sewing machine shop (for any brand) is 2 hours away and no one was going that way for a few days. I called the shop first thing the next morning, as well as emailed the company directly. The shop owner also contacted Janome Canada and was told how to rectify the problem (although they were unaware that this could happen!LOL) I was not comfortable taking that machine back and they readily ordered me a new machine, which arrived 2 days later. I also received a letter from Janome Canada apologizing for the problem and they included a free Janome Digest and an Embroidery Sampler CD. I was quite happy with the company and how they handled the problem.
That being said, I have been using the machine for the last 3 months and have been very happy with it. The embroidery designs are beautifully done and the Janome USA site has a number of free designs you can download. The ATAPC cards are very easy to obtain and use, although the adapter took a bit of looking around for (up here in the wasteland of Northern Ontario, anyway). The only problem I have had is in hemming jeans. It balks at going over the doubled (or rather tripled, I guess) jean seams. If I remember to trim the seam allowances down, though, it goes over them just fine. Other than that, it sews like a dream.
. The only problem I have had is in hemming jeans. It balks at
Do you have a Hump Jumper. I sometimes have to use one even with my industrial machines if the seam junction is especially bulky. If the foot on the computerized machines is not sort of level the sensors see this as a problem and so not proceed. Also a good wack on concrete with a hammer on the seams will help.
The Janome web site has some of the best free projects I have ever seen. I often use them for teaching new Pfaff owners how to use their machines. The Janome Mag is also really nice and easy understand unlike the Pfaff one now. I keep wondering who in heck makes up the Pfaff projects......really bizarre.
I think I've seen them on the notion wall at TSWLTH. Usually when I have a need for this it's when I'm shortening jeans for my younger DD, and I just use a piece of the cut-off jeans ~hem~, placing it under the rear of the presser foot as I come to each seam. Works for me, and I don't have to spend time looking for a HUMP JUMPER® or a Jean-A-Ma-Jig?. ;-}
No, the problem does not seem to be the difference in height. There is a locking mechanism on the foot, which keeps it level. I had the same feature on my old machine (a 15 yr old Kenmore, which I still have) and never had any problem going over the jean seams with it. The computer just refuses to go through all the layers of the jean seam. Of course, at any given time, there are 12 layers of denim to go through, once you fold it over twice. I have used my stitch ripper to help me over thick portions, I will try it again with the jean hems. Thanks Linda
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