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Janome HD 3000 Review (2023 update)
Editor’s Note: This Janome HD 3000 review was originally written in 2013. We revised and updated it in 2023 with more information about the latest heavy duty mechanical sewing machines that are along the same lines as the Janome HD 3000.
I had a chance to review Janome’s heavy duty mechanical sewing, the Janome HD 3000. For those who like mechanical sewing machines, the Janome HD 3000 is a dream come true. It has all of the great features that mechanical sewing machines are known for as well as a few features like an on board thread cutter and needle threader which are seldom found on mechanical machines.
Janome HD 3000 – Overview and review
It has all of the great features that mechanical sewing machines are known for as well as a few features like an on board thread cutter and needle threader which are seldom found on mechanical machines.
For those delving into robust sewing projects, the Janome HD3000 stands as a reliable companion, excelling in heavy-duty tasks like sewing denim. Geared towards beginners and seasoned sewists, this mechanical marvel boasts 18 stitches, including a buttonhole feature. The built-in needle threader and reverse stitch lever enhance efficiency, while the snap-on presser feet and foot pressure adjustment cater to diverse fabric needs. With a durable metal internal frame, a removable free arm, and a top-loading, jam-proof bobbin, the HD3000 ensures dependable stitching. The inclusive hard cover and instructional guide make this sewing machine an accessible choice for a wide range of sewing endeavors.
- Good for sewing heavy fabrics
- Good quality for the price
- Speed control with floor controller is excellent
- Powerful and reliable
- Thread tangling problems
- Not good for small curves in leather sewing
At A Glance
The Janome HD 3000 looks a lot like many of the computerized sewing machines on the market. The onboard stitch guide clearly displays all 19 utility and decorative stitch options as well as sliders which control the stitch length and width. There is an on board tutorial panel at the top and an oversize reverse button on the lower front panel.
The needle plate has seam guides etched on both sides of the needle, and the drop in bobbin has a clear plastic cover that allows you to see how much thread is on the bobbin with ease.
Features
The standard features available on the Janome HD 3000 include:
- 19 decorative and utility stitches
- One-step buttonhole
- Manual, lay-in thread tension
- 7-piece feed dog
- Reverse stitch lever
- Push-pull bobbin winder
- Stitch selection dial
- Foot pressure adjustment
- Horizontal, full rotary hook bobbin system
Working on the Janome HD 3000
- Good for sewing heavy fabrics
- Good quality for the price
- Speed control with floor controller is excellent
- Powerful and reliable
- Thread tangling problems
- Not good for small curves in leather sewing
Visuals and Videos from my Janome HD 3000
Fabrics on Janome HD 3000
| Fabrics that work | Fabrics that don’t work |
|---|---|
| Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester Knits(Medium to heavyweight only) Upholstery Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers Leather/suede | Fur Reptile skin Canvas/Twill Plastic/Rubber |
Accessories
The list of standard accessories that come with the Janome HD 3000 include all the necessary things to make the sewing experience fun.
- 7 snap on presser feet
- Blind stitch hem foot
- Hemmer foot
- Overedge foot
- Zipper foot
- Transparent buttonhole foot
- Zigzag foot
- Automatic buttonhole foot
- Extra needles
- Extra bobbins
- Lint brush
- Seam ripper
- Screwdriver
- Quilting bar
- Hard cover
- Owner’s manual
Alternatives to Janome HD 3000
The Singer 4423 and Husqvarna Viking Jade 20 are great alternatives to the Janome HD 3000. Have a look at our quick reviews below:
Singer 4432 Heavy-Duty Sewing Machine
Experience the power of the Singer Heavy-Duty 4432 sewing machine, designed for lasting durability with its heavy-duty metal frame. This versatile machine offers 110 stitch applications, from basic to decorative, conveniently displayed on the user-friendly Stitch Selector Dial. Benefit from features like automatic one-step buttonhole, automatic needle threader, and enhanced piercing power for sewing through multiple layers. With a faster motor, it sews up to 1,100 stitches per minute, making it ideal for larger projects. Explore creativity effortlessly with the Singer 4432, equipped with top-notch features for sewing enthusiasts.
- Versatile machine with box feed for continuous fabric pressure
- Adjustable feed and pressure settings
- Can sew heavy denim and handle different fabric weights
- Good for basic sewing tasks
- Reliable for occasional sewing and repairs
- Bobbin tension is not self-adjusting
- Confusing setup instructions and bobbin threading
- May struggle with very thick leather
Husqvarna Viking Jade 20 Sewing Machine
The Husqvarna Viking Jade 20 Sewing Machine seamlessly combines cutting-edge features with a sleek, modern design. Boasting an extra-large 8" sewing space illuminated by bright LED lighting, it accommodates large projects effortlessly. The sewing guide in the lid simplifies the process, recommending ideal stitches and settings for different fabrics and techniques. With 82 beautiful 7 mm wide stitches, top-loading bobbin, and a built-in needle threader, this machine ensures precision and convenience. The start/stop function allows for foot-control-free sewing, making it perfect for decorative stitches and users with physical limitations. Stylishly designed, it flaunts an accessory compartment, and the machine's speed control adds to its versatility.
- Easy to use and makes little noise
- The stitches are perfect
- It might be hard to read the stitch widths on the user guide
Janome HD 3000 – Maintenance
| Maintenance activities | After each use | Monthly | Once each year | As needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean race hook and feed dogs | Yes | No | No | No |
| Wipe head with soft dry cloth | No | No | No | Yes |
| Wipe head with soft damp cloth | No | No | No | Yes |
| Lubricate | No | No | No | No |
| Service by sewing machine repair professional | No | No | Yes | No |
Summary – Janome HD 3000 Review
The Janome HD 3000 is a wonderful mechanical sewing machine. The stitch quality is great and it operates like a dream.
I have no hesitation recommending this machine for use by beginners, even children in elementary school as well as the intermediate and advanced home sewer who likes the sturdiness and solid construction of a mechanical machine.
| Maintenance activities | After each use | Monthly | Once each year | As needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean race hook and feed dogs | Yes | No | No | No |
| Wipe head with soft dry cloth | No | No | No | Yes |
| Wipe head with soft damp cloth | No | No | No | Yes |
| Lubricate | No | No | No | No |
| Service by sewing machine repair professional | No | No | Yes | No |
Janome HD 3000 review
Summary
The Janome HD 3000 is a wonderful mechanical sewing machine. The stitch quality is great and it operates like a dream.
I have no hesitation recommending this machine for use by beginners, even children in elementary school as well as the intermediate and advanced home sewer who likes the sturdiness and solid construction of a mechanical machine.
Although I have my reservations about the process of making a series of buttonholes, that is my only concern. Working on this machine is a great experience that I believe would enhance any sewing room.
Some people may not like that the Janome HD 3000 only has a few stitch options, but it has all of the important utility stitches and the most common decorative stitches.
The HD 3000 from Janome is a great deal and user friendly. If a new mechanical sewing machine is in your feature, the Janome HD 3000 is a great addition to any sewing room, especially if there is more than one sewer in the house, especially if they are all at different skill levels.
If you are an advanced sewist, have a look at our best sewing machines, best sewing books and best sewing magazines posts and if you are looking to get a mechanical, heavy duty, quilting or industrial sewing machine, have a look at some of our great articles. If you are a beginner sewist, review our best sewing books for beginners, best sewing machines for beginners and best sewing machines under $200 to get started.
For brand related articles, check Best Bernette | Best Bernina | Best Brother | Best Husqvarna Viking | Best Janome | Best Juki | Best Singer |
For best accessories, check Best Chairs | Best tables | Best tracing paper | Best machine oils | Best scissors and shears | Best presser feet | Best needles | Best sewing kits |
Happy Stitching.
Other Janome machines you will like
Janome Xpression Review
They say you have an opportunity to learn something every day. Well, I certainly learned a lot when I visited Margate, Florida’s Sunshine Sewing Center and reviewed the single purpose Janome Xpression FM 725. It’s a single function felting machine that allows you to simply let your imagination go to create just about anything you can see in your mind’s eye.
Janome QC 6260 Review
When I reviewed a friend’s Janome QC 6260, it was very easy to see why she refuses to let it out of the house. This machine was purchased in 2006, gets lots and lots of use and it still works as great as it did when she first brought it home and unpacked it.
If you are an advanced sewist, have a look at our best sewing machines, best sewing books and best sewing magazines posts and if you are looking to get a mechanical, heavy duty, quilting or industrial sewing machine, have a look at some of our great articles. If you are a beginner sewist, review our best sewing books for beginners, best sewing machines for beginners and best sewing machines under $200 to get started.
For brand related articles, check Best Bernette | Best Bernina | Best Brother | Best Husqvarna Viking | Best Janome | Best Juki | Best Singer |
For best accessories, check Best Chairs | Best tables | Best tracing paper | Best machine oils | Best scissors and shears | Best presser feet | Best needles | Best sewing kits |
Happy Stitching.
Just sharing another positive review on the Janome hd3000 – I purchased mine around Oct. of 2011 and it has worked perfectly for the past 2 years with no problems at all. It sews everything, upholstery, knit, fleece, plastic, paper, etc! I chose this one over the hd2000 as I was looking for a heavy mechanical machine with a few extra stitches (one is similar to a serger stitch). I bought it on-line so didn’t get to see a lot of its features or how it worked other than an online video I saw it sews nice and I love that it is not noisy!
Like the cover for storage and my only sort-of complaint is that I would have liked to be ALL metal and no plastic. But overall highly recommendable for beginners as well as advanced.
I would like to know whether you were only talking about the dust cover which is plastic, or other parts of the machine are plastic as well. Some brands have “internal metal frame” but all the outside parts are plastic. Is that the case here ?
Thank you.
Autumn
Hello, Autumn –
Thank you for visiting Sewing Insight.
You are right. Many sewing machines have metal frames and plastic bodies. However… One of the PROS of this particular sewing machine is that the body of the Janome HD 3000 is aluminum, not plastic.
Happy stitching.
Autumn, what Juliana is referring to is the front of the machine itself, not the case (though the case is plastic). The body of the machine around all the mechanical drive is indeed metal, but the front fascia, top cover, and end caps are all plastic. That being said, while I too would prefer all metal, Janome seems to have been very sensible about where to use metal and where to use plastic, using the plastic only for cosmetic or light duty mechanical functions (such as the reverse bar). And I’m sure all metal would drive the cost up a bit.
In the pictures, where you see a bit of separation between the back of the sewing surface and the front, the back is metal and the front is plastic, but the joint is very clean. Because of the mostly metal construction, this is a solid, smooth running machine.
We recently purchased the HD3000 and so far it seems like a great machine. My wife is patiently teaching me how to sew and I am in the process of making my first pot holders. Whoo hoo…. so I’m 66 years old and I know a 10 year old girl could sew circles around me.
We seem to have an occasional problem winding bobbins. Sometimes they wind nice and tight and sometimes there is a lot of loose thread and the winding is sloppy. Any suggestions on this? And sometimes when I back up to end a stitch an extra thread winds around the bobbin – such that I end up with one thread out of the needle and three out of the bobbin. Once I cut it it’s easy enough to pull the extra thread out but it doesn’t seem like it should do that. Again – any suggestions for the old new guy?
Cheers
Don
Hey Don! A couple thoughts on the issues you mentioned.
First – winding the bobbin. I would recommend double checking that your thread is firmly in place through the guides. The guides give the thread a bit of tension as it winds on the bobbin, allowing for a nice tight wrap.
In regards to your problem with the three threads coming from the bobbin at times… since this is a mechanical machine (vs electronic or computerized), I am thinking it doesn’t have an automatic needle stop point. This means that each time you stop and want to remove your fabric, you’ll have to manually turn the wheel toward you until the take up arm reached the very top and begins it’s descent. This positioning allows the bobbin thread to release the top thread to you don’t have those extra loops pulling through the bottom. It sounds like a pain but, trust me, you get used to it. 😉
Good luck and happy stitching!
Vicki
Thanks Vicki. Your suggestions make sense. I’ll give it a try.
Regards
Don
Time has flown, but… I have a c. 1980 Janome Memory 7 – partially computerized. Although it was supposed to wind perfect bobbins very early on I started holding the thread while it winds and hand guiding it up and down by hand. (As long as you don’t have radically different thicknesses the threads don’t need to go on perfectly even. If you are still having winding issues guide it by hand. also, several brands of thread have gotten thinner [they’d dispute it] and the tension set up for the bobbin is likely loose. See how it goes by hand.
hi , i just bought it online and i am not able to lift the presser foot higher it’s just 1 lift , i am not sure what’s going on , it is hd3000 but it says janome new home , can u help me please ?
Hello, Aya –
The New Home brand was purchased by Janome several years ago. You will sometimes see the New Home name on a machine. There is nothing at all wrong with that. My mother owned a New Home sewing machine and used it from the 1940s until she passed away in the late 1990s.
The biggest challenge with purchasing a sewing machine online is you have absolutely NO customer service. The second biggest challenge is that it is sometimes difficult to find someone to take it to when you need servicing. Some manufacturers will not honor warranties if you purchase a machine online, but others will. The good news, however, is you should be able to get help with your presser foot issue by visiting a reputable sewing machine repair professional in our area. I recommend you start with a Janome dealer close to you. If for whatever reason, they do not want to work on a machine purchased online, find a good sewing machine repair shop that specializes in all sewing machine brands.
Happy stitching.
Vernelle – back in the early-mid 80s my mother was in US and I was in Canada. I bought a Janome. She said Janomes went under the New Home name there. She wanted a new machine but opted for a Bernina due to price differences which were based on the difference in tarriff rates, not quality of the machines. According to a number of Pattern Review (www.patternreview dot com) members, Janome was supposed to have made many of Sears Kenmore’s machines. It all sounds like a somewhat inconsistent history which I haven’t found time To sort out. Meant to add [some odd reason I can’t stick another sentence into what I wrote). The odd thing was Bernina machines were cheaper there and Bernina sergers cheaper here. I got a Bernina serger and she bought a New Home. Weird, eh? Wh knows?
I too am having trouble winding my bobbin tightly. Can anyone offer suggestions on how to correct this?
Melissa – Make sure you are threading correctly – and put some speed on it when you wind a new bobbin. I found I was not following the thread path shown in the instructions exactly right – once I made a small correction we are able to wind nice tight bobbins. Hope this helps. Don
See my post in reply to Vicki. Hold the thread by hand while it winds.
Hello! I’ve been narrowing my search for a heavy-duty machine. I use a lot of heavy fabrics, which my Kenmore and Singer machines just can’t keep up with without a fight. I’m leaning toward purchasing an HD3000, but are there other similarly-priced heavy duty machines I should consider or compare that you would suggest? My teacher recommend I buy Japanese brands and avoid Singer; what do you think?
Thanks for reading!
Hello, Jasmine –
Thank you for visiting Sewing Insight.
I agree with your instructor. While Singer is at the beginning of a comeback, I would not invest in a Singer industrial sewing machine just yet. The Janome HD 3000 is a solid workhorse with a metal frame. So is the Janome HD 1000, but the 3000 has a few more options. If you are seriously interested in a real industrial sewing machine, why not also consider one of the Juki industrial machines. That brand has a long standing reputation for excellence and durability. Juki started out as an industrial sewing manufacturer and in my opinion is still the hands down leader in that category.
If you’re on a budget, Juki is more pricey but a great machine. Very sturdy and great work horse. Also, repairs or parts are quite expensive. I am shelving my old Juki and looking for a newer Heavy Duty machine mainly because of the cost of parts issue.
I purchased the janome hd3000 1week ago , after reading it was a good heavy duty machine for upholstery fabrics . Starting my project went smoothly until I tried sewing 4 layers of upholster together (piping and top and bottom layer of fabric ) and it could not Handel it , I was using upholstery thread and 16 needle , and it broke the needle 4 times . This is not a heavy duty machine ……..
Hello, I am a beginning quilter. I have the 1/4″ foot and it is fine. But, when using it my fabric does not cover the feed dogs to the right of the plate. I am having trouble with the fabric wanting to feed unevenly. If I adjust the feed balance will this help and how do I adjust it? Thank you! Janet
Hi Janet. It’s now June 2018. Hope by now someone has this to you but in case they haven’t. The deal is, today’s machines are designed to zigzag and do other wide stitches, thus the hole in the needle plate is wide. What you need is a single hole needle plate. I don’t know if they make one for this machine – I was never able to find one for my 1980 semi computerized Janome. If you cannot find a single hole needle plate or cover or machine that has one perhaps you should look into getting an older straight stitch machine – one that wasn’t capable of zigzags etc. I have a little Singer 99K – a 2/3 size machine, much like my first machine which was a 1978 Singer Featherweight (regret selling it!!!). I love it. Apart from the fabric not being able to get down a wide hole, straight stitch machines do a much nicer stitch. On Pattern Review I’ve read about women who own one and use it for top-stitching. If you do consider a straight stitch, look for something locally. People are waaay over charging for old machines. I paid $40 for my 99K. I also bought an old Necchi for $30 because it had Greist attachments that fit 99K. I tuned it up and sold it for more than I paid. Watch your local thrift stores or church bargain sales. Ask around if you are involved with a group. You sould be able to find a good machine for not very much. Don’t go too old or you’ll have troubles getting bobbins etc. One thing you could try with your 3000 if it allows you to sew a straight stitch with the needle set to the right of centre you might have better success.
Sorry! Forgot to say I have the Janome 3000HD.
Hey,
I just got the machine and I am excited to start. One thing that bothers me is the speed.
I know that some sewing machines can be adjusted so the needle would run slower. Can this be done with Janome HD 3000?
Thanks in advance 😉
Wanting a sewing machine that will sew jeans, jeans and jeans. I do a lot of repairs for customers. So heavy duty fabrics. Would you recommend this machine?
Does the hd300 have down needle position. My wife wants a machine that has the down needle position and in trying to find her one as a surprise gift. She is a seamstress just starting a business and said the down position would help save time. She has several other machines for specific jobs and now money for more equipment is short for now but this machine sounds like a good one for the $
I have the janome hd 3000 and it’s good for the heavy duty part, but the tension is awful. Doesnt consistently make good stitches and the tension is always off. Any helpful thought would be greatly appreciated. Thank You
Tension should be consistent unless you are changing thread weights. Be sure you have it properly threaded in all areas, especially where it feeds into the tension controls or disks. I have several machines. With my serger I literally have to slide the threads into the tension. Ditto with my straight stitch old Singer. My not this model Janome some days i’ll run the thread down wrong over and over and not catch my error until it sews wonky. Finally I’ll get it in correctly and away I go. mis-threading is a common error especially with newer sewers. Take your time , follow directions. Putting the bobbin in backwards can also be a cause. Some say it doesn’t matter but it does – more so on certain machines.
Hi, I’m having a hard time deciding between this and the singer 4423. Does anyone have any experiences with both and recommendations?
Personally I favor Janome yet love pre-60s Singers. I know a gal with a newer HD singer and she likes it. One thing to look for especially if you sew heavy and lighter weight fabrics is to be sure the machine has presser foot tension adjustments. imo, it’s an essential feature. Not all of the newer machines are adjustable. the 3000 should be but I don’t know about Singer. Todays. Keep in mind Singers are not the same company anymore.
Hi, Don’t see anything active on this site but am looking for a simple answer. Have had my 3000 for some years but has been in storage about 5. It was borrowed and came back without power cable or foot control (of which there a hundred to choose from and which do I choose?) it is also on Bobbin Rewind and (C) does not clear it.
Hello, do you prefer Janome HD3000 or Pfaff Select 4.2?