janome 1600p needs a special needle?

The needles I use are Organ HL x5 needles in my 1600P. They are an industrial needle. Don't know if they are Janome specific or not so you might be able to get them locally.

Denny

Musicmaker wrote:

((((HUGS!!!!!))))

Karen, Queen of Squishies

The only stuff I can see about it here in the UK describes it as the Janome 1600P DBX High-Speed sewing machine, and says that it uses industrial needles.

It seems to be a pretty common type and fits lots of different machines. You should maybe think of getting them in boxes of 100 so you don't run out. They cost less than domestic machine needles in the places I've found over here. £13.95 for 200 rather than £25 for 100 for domestic machine needles...

I took Taria's advice and "asked Jan" at the Janome site. Her answer was within a few hours, and she confirms what you, Denny, are saying. The dealer isn't right about the dbx needles - those are for the "other two" 1600 models. The one I have, Janome 1600p, requires the hlx5 needles. So I called the dealer back, they hadn't mailed the dbx needles, and will instead ship me the hlx5's. sheesh. Jan also gave me a long list of things to check on my machine set up, some I've done, and some I had no idea, so once I get the needles, I'll try again.

Musicmaker, thankful for the advice (and hugs) that are always available here on rctq.

Well, now. Well, well, well. Isn't that something? And furthermore - when all the trauma has settled - next time you're having thread problems, add one more solution to your list. Sometimes a spool of thread is the guilty party. Now and then I get one that was made when the thread company was having a really bad day and nothing is going to make it work. Nothing. Always swap out your top thread before you abandon ship. Polly

On Oct 8, 12:38=A0pm, Musicmaker wrote:

The 1600 does in fact take a DBx-1. It is a round shank needle and you need to be careful when you place it into the clamp and make sure the the scarf, or cut out for the needle eye is facing toward the right. I use a set of locking tweezers, to grasp the needle at the scarf and position it so that the handle of the tweezers is pointing directly at me. If you do this you will have no problems, but you need to make sure that however you position the scarf, the cut out for the bobbin hook is able to pass close to the needle eye to take up the bobbin thread. Just make sure that the scarf is pointing in the right direction. If you take off the needle plate and expose the workings it will become apparent what has to happen when the needle goes up and down, to make the thread take up happen. Just advance the wheel slowly so that you can make sure that the needle scarf does not hit the bobbin hook or you will have lots of little bits flying out of the machine and creating lots of expensive repairs. It sounds more complicated that it really is, but it is different than a domestic home sewing machine with the flat surface that acts as a register for placement of the needle in the correct position. The 1600 uses that industrial needle because of the high speed capability of the machine. Most industrial machines have such high speed capability, or even higher, up to 5500 stitches per minute, that they require a sturdier clamping system than is found on domestic machines. Good luck. It really isn't that difficult once you get the hang of it, and should be mater of fact when you learn to do it your way.

John

I should offer a correction. If you are using the 1600 DB which is what I have, then it takes the DB-1 needle. If you have the 1600 DBX then it takes the DBX-1 needle. The only difference in the DB and DBX is that they are machine specific. You need to know exactly which machine you have. If it has the thread cutter, it is the DBX. If it is the bare bones machine without the thread cutter, then it is a DB. and should take the DB needles. Hope this clarifies the problem.

John

A warning on that one - if you take off the needle plate to clean or just have a look around, please replace it and cover it before you do attempt to remove/replace a needle. Dropping a loose needle down into the innards of a SM is awful. We had to pick up my Bernina and tilt her just every whichaway to retrieve a dropped needle. (Is whichaway a word?) Polly

John" If you take off the needle plate and expose the workings it

Woohoo for getting help. We need to get you up and sewing away. I'm hopeful you will be smooth sailing now. Taria

Stitch very slowly and look at the thread as it feeds. Is it feeding smoothly? Try a different thread. My favorite quilting thread is so-fine. I can use Masterpiece also when using just the machine, but not on the frame - it breaks.

Actually on that model, it would drop down into the bottom of the case, and be easily accessible from the fold down trap door of the access point. The bobbin sits at the end of a shaft and there are few other "things" around it to get stuck on. It is really a rather simple mechanism, and totally unlike the normal domestic machine. Not too much to worry about on that score. But just in case, I suggest you use a clamping type of tweezers. I use medical hemostats, and they work great. They are also useful for many other things, in the sewing studio, I would suggest everybody have a pair.

John

Maybe I need some hemostats, John. Too often, I have to get my little pliers to remove the foil seal on new jars and bottles in the kitchen. My fingers have a heap of mileage and just aren't as strong as they used to be. What brand, style, model whatever do you recommend? I had to use baby food bananas for nut bread and had a mean time trying to get the little containers open. Boy, was I glad I didn't have a hungry baby yowling at me. Polly

"John" But just in case, I suggest you use a clamping type of tweezers. I use medical hemostats, and they work great. They are also useful for many other things, in the sewing studio, I would suggest everybody have a pair.

I've talked to longarm quilters about the industrial needles and they gave me a tip. When installing a new needle, use an old one to put in the eye of the needle so you can lift the new needle in position and are assured the proper positioning of the eye of the new needle.

If the needle is properly installed and the shuttle hook keeps hitting the needle then the machine is out of timing and has to be re-timed by someone that services SM.

Kate T. South Mississippi

I had to strip off all the covers from the looper area of the Brother serger to extract a dropped needle... Not exactly fun, but at least I know how to do that now! And keeping the needle plate on for changing the needle didn't help. It fell through.

My Babylock serger has a little drawer to catch any needles that fall through. Handy because serger needles aren't real easy to change without dropping. I do have a little needle holder that helps a lot.

Julia in MN