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Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) –

  

  

  

I really like Janome sewing machines; they are rugged, feature-rich and really excellent for the home sewist. While there are fully-featured models from competing manufacturers that cost half as much, the Janome deliver trouble-free features such as clog-free bobbins and a number of innovations that make sewing a pleasure, for example, a very good feed dog system with seven parts that delivers smooth operation.

The tension is very well made; I had few issues adjusting upper tension and the lower tension seems to react incredibly well–I was trying to abut two adjoining pieces of fabric with a loose fringe-like ladder by loosening the upper tension to almost nil. However, the lower tension adjusted and made a smooth satin-like stitch which actually was not the effect I wanted (I wanted messy loops) but shows that the technology of the Janome bobbin tension is quite remarkable. Not surprising as Janome’s fame is their bobbins, and in fact, the name means “Eye of the Dragon” or “Eye of the Snake” and refers to the round bobbin that they invented.

However, the way the machines are marketed makes me delete a star; to get a model with the right “bells and whistles” plus some features I consider “musts” is not easy and you end up having to move up to the most expensive machine in the series in order to get the most versatile model. And the models are revised constantly; wait a year and a whole set is discontinued and a new set with an equally perplexing matrix of features will be introduced. And then there are “commemorative” models that come and go quickly. It’s confusing.

The DC2010 is a case in point. If you drop down to the “Magnolia” line, which is a line of starter machines (by the way, suitable for any young sewist to start out on) then you give up a lot of the heirloom stitches that make sewing garments and decorative home linens worth your time. But the Magnolia top-of-the-line 7330 has the option of foot-free start-stop, meaning you can sew and coordinate free quilting without having to press a foot pedal up and down to regulate speed and start-stop. (This is something akin to rubbing your tummy and patting your head. You can do it, but it takes a bit of concentration.)

The DC2010 lacks two other features that make it less than optimal. Firstly, there is no adjustable pressure for the foot. This is a dial on top that makes the presser foot squeeze the fabric onto the feed dogs with more or less pressure and allows you to adapt the pressure for the fabric you are working on (sheer to heavy.) The “Threadbanger” TB-30 has this feature (at a similar price point to the DC2010) and start-start stop as well. You just give up 20 additional heirloom stitches to get this. (So, if you don’t like machine ornamental stitches, go look at that model before it’s discontinued.)

Secondly, there are only three choices of buttonholes, done in satin stitch. The knit buttonhole and “hand-stitched” buttonhole are missing. Strange, considering this machine has 50 stitches including heirlooms like feather and ladder stitch.

In order to get adjustable pressure and more buttonholes, there is a more expensive machine (DC2160) or you go with the Threadbanger TB-30 and leave off doing darning or heirloom stitching, because the TB-30 has 30 stitches NOT including darning nor many heirloom hem stitches. (You can of course darn by dropping the feed dog and moving the fabric freely with an optional darning foot.)

However, if you aren’t as fussy about buttonholes, don’t care about adjustable pressure and if you like heirloom stitching and can live with foot-pedal operation only, the DC2010 is machine that delivers a lot for a very reasonable price.

My feeling is that if you can find about fifty percent more to spend, it’s worth it to move up to a better machine but if your budget is around four hundred, this is a fantastic home machine and only the foot-free and pressure versus stitch choice would have you choose between the Threadbanger or Decor.

You can spend a lot less on some very widely available mass-marketed machines, but reports of tension problems and overheating during long sewing sessions are common complaints, and if you are serious, you don’t need such frustration.

More quibbles; the lower end machines have an accessory box that pulls off the free arm end and is simply two connected tubes in which you store the feet and other accessories. The better machines have the drawer type of accessory box that pulls down in front. I hate pulling off the box just to find a foot. And may I also say that a zipper foot, buttonhole foot, satin stitch foot and regular foot are not a generous number of presser feet. Again, the higher end machines have blind hem and overedge as well. These feet can add up quite a bit when you are outfitting your machine to suit your projects. I like to have a good open…

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W. Wenck (virginia) –

  

I am an intermediate sewer and bought this machine on the advice of my aunt, who is a professional seamstress who uses the same machine.

The machine is easy to thread. The bobbin, also easy to load, is in a clear encasing so you know when you’re running low on bobbin thread. The special stitches look great, are easy to use, and provide excellent support to my crafting projects. (They do use a lot of thread, though.) The feed system is so smooth, much better than my old Singer. Feels like I’ve upgraded my ride from an old beater truck to a luxury sedan!

The manual is a little tough to use if you don’t have much sewing knowledge, but that’s my only complaint. Wish I’d bought this machine years ago!

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Valerie Legacey “Val” (Canada) –

  

This product arrived quickly and in perfect condition, I just plugged it in and started making quilts! It is a wonderful sewing machine, well worth the money. I would definitely use this supplier again in future for other sewing needs.

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