Janome MB7: A 4 Year Review

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For the past four years, I have been using Janome MB7. Here’s what I have discovered after working with this model for so long.

https://youtu.be/Qv4He4wPZdg

Positives

Build Quality

Janome MB7 and MB4 models are amongst the cheapest machines you can buy without going Chinese. I’m not making this comment as if Chinese machines aren’t good because there are a number of brands with positive reviews. When it comes to embroidery machines, however, China has less of a positive track record for quality builds.

For those of you who are unaware, Janome MB7 is made in Japan. Japan has been known for quality craftsmanship since the 1960’s and is home to brands like Babylock. Given the price point, I expected to see cheap aluminum and lightweight plastic. But, my machine is made from very solid materials. The plastic doesn’t feel cheap and the metal is quite thick.

Weight

While build quality is great, MB7 isn’t too heavy weighing in at 50LBS. At the time of purchase, this was one of the main selling points. It was a main selling point because all the Chinese made brands within my price range weighted substantially more with more complicated looking thread tension paths.

Tension

Oftentimes, I hear people talking about the tension needing constant adjustment on their cheap embroidery machines. However, my machine stays on 5mm thread tension for 90% of all my embroidery jobs without any need for adjustments. The only time I ever had to make an adjustment was when I made patches with pretty thick denim material.

Availability of Hoops

MB7 comes with traditional hoops you have to tighten down. But, it is compatible with a wide variety of aftermarket hoops from popular 3rd party sellers like Durkee and Mighty Hoops. This means you never have to worry about having the right kind of hoop for the job you would like to complete.

Online Support

There are a few FaceBook groups dedicated to helping users troubleshoot problems with their machines. I have found the group very helpful in figuring out things not clearly explained in the manual. In addition to getting questions answered, I was able to download service manuals and videos for my personal use. These service manuals and videos are very useful to have in case something ever goes wrong with my machine.

Negatives

I’ve spent a great deal of time speaking about things I like about Janome MB7. But, there are a couple of things to dislike about this model.

Computer Issue 1: Lack of File Recognition

The computer on this embroidery machine doesn’t do two things I feel it should be able to do without a problem. For starters, the machine doesn’t recognize when new files have been added. Since it doesn’t recognize new files, you have to reboot every time you want to stitch out a design that isn’t already loaded onto the flash drive.

On occasion, I get a flash drive with embroidery files already added. But, MB7 makes things hard because it cannot see files that aren’t on a 2GB flash drive nested within this file structure (EMB< embf). The pickiness of MB7 means you have create those folders on a 2GB flash drive and the place your jef files inside (embf) folder. Once your files are inside the embf folder, you have to install your flash drive and reboot the entire embroidery machine. Note: So far, I’ve only had success with one flash drive greater than 2GB. Linked Here.

Computer Issue 2: Slow to Obey Commands

Secondly, Janome MB7 doesn’t recognize when you hit stop. Instead, it advances anywhere from 7 to 11 stitches before stopping. On the surface, this seems like it isn’t a big deal. But, the lack of machine stop responsiveness is dangerous because it means an accidental needle strike continues for at least 7 more stitches.

Service

You’ll definitely need Facebook groups for troubleshooting because there isn’t a lot of service available. The overwhelming majority of local dealers only service sewing machines, not multi-needle embroidery units. For this reason, embroidery machines are sent off for service. If you’ve been in the creative space long enough, you’ll know offsite service departments are expensive and take weeks to look at machines they often don’t fix.

The motor

After 1000 hours of use, Janome requires users to change the motor. Most people desire to delay a motor change. But, the machine won’t allow you to do so because it gets stuck on a service screen. There are some work arounds. But, it isn’t easy. To make matters worse, the replacement motor isn’t easy to find. On most occasions, the motor is on backorder due to supply chain shortages. I haven’t encountered this problem because my machine has very little hours of use. However, the motor change factor is something to consider before deciding on this machine.

Some Issues Mentioned Aren’t A Fault Of The Machine

In forums, I find people complaining about MB7 because it doesn’t offer a circular hat hoop. In all fairness, Janome MB7 wasn’t designed for embroidering hats. It was sold as a free arm multi needle embroidery machine for general embroidery.

Overall

There isn’t a single embroidery machine on the face of this planet without downsides. So when you are making a decision, you just have to decide if the machines downsides are something you can live with. In the past 4 years, I’ve only logged 58 hours on this machine. At this rate, it will be decades before I ever have to worry about the motor. By that time, I will have gotten more than my fair share of money out of the machine.

For a full-time business running embroidery jobs non-stop for 8 hours a day, I would pass on MB7. I would pass because it would only take 125 days of 8 hour shifts to require a new motor. While MB7 wouldn’t work for a full time business with a lot of orders, it is more than enough machine for a small business or hobbyist who only does a handful of embroidery jobs per week.

If you’ve got something to add to this conversation, leave it down in the comments section below.