Should I make the investment?
 

I have a Janome Magnolia 7330 which I love. But.....am looking at the Janome 6500P. Does anyone have an opinion on that machine before I make the investment? Why I think I need a new machine who knows? Guess the same reason I think I need more fabric.

I have no idea about the machine. I just want to say I like your way of thinking🤗

I always look at do I NEED it or do I just WANT it. I am still happy with sewing on my Bernina 1530. It really isn't an investment. Welcome to the board.

I have this machine in a previous model called Memory Craft 6600. The reason I bought it is for the large space for maneuvering a quilt when free-motion-quilting. I can easily do a king size on this machine without a problem. I like it for piecing, FMQ, and it is heavy and can handle lots of bulk. It also has an excellent x-large walking foot for stitch-in-the-ditch or wavy-line-quilting. It does an incredible job of SITD. The only negative is that the bobbin area lints up and has to be taken apart to clean every so often. By this I mean the whole bobbin case area has to be unscrewed and taken apart to get to the linty area. There are some facts for you to go on. Have a great day :)

When I purchased a new machine, it was a tossup between the 6500 and the 6600. I think the biggest difference and the most important to me now is Accufeed system....built in walking foot....standard equipment on the 6600. I would encourage you to test drive the 6600 as well...it is a little more, but well worth it.

you probably already know if you should make the investment if you have the funds and want it that is all you have to know

Thanks so much for your input. Of course it is an "I want" not an "I need" so I guess I had better think about it for a little longer. (and just keep buying fabric for now!)

http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/index.html

I am currently reading one of Gail Vax Oxlade's books on money management. She has a TV show in Canada called 'Until Debt do us Part'.

I have to be very mindful of how I spend my money. And yes I did buy a new machine in the Fall. It was not a need, but was a want. I had money in my budget for it and paid cash.

If you want a new Janome, slow down on the fabric purchases, until you have saved up the money. Maybe you can find a demo model or trade in.

I don't know anything about the Janome 6500P but I too have a Janome Magnolia 7330 and love it. This machine will probably last me for the rest of my life since I also have a Singer TouchTronic machine for a backup. Oh yes, there are more bells & whistles on other machines out there but this one is meeting my needs plus I love it.

There is a Singer S18 which is identical to the Janome 6500P and is made for Singer by Janome and it is a couple of hundred dollars less. Just a thought.

Watson

If you are an avid sewer (sewist), I do think you need a backup machine, whether it be the machine mentioned or an older used machine. When you have to take in your main machine in for service, you will be able to continue sewing.

I assumed from your post that you only have the one machine, therefore my comment is directed towards that.

If I were going to make this purchase, I would definitely go with the 6600 because of the Accufeed capability.

There is always a reason for a new machine. Sometimes we out grow our machines, sometimes they break down and sometimes we absolutely need a full color touch screen, ya know for our eye health and stuff. The 6500 is a great machine, but I’m with the other responders, if you are going to invest buy 6600. You’ll have the built in accufeed which is fabulous and you ‘ll have a start stop button. Check with you’re local dealers for used ones. Many quilters are trading in their 6600s for 8900s. The 6600 even when used is a work horse and will last a lifetime. When buying a machine this large buy it from a dealer and a close dealer. Don’t buy the knock off singer one on amazon because if you need help or warranty work you’ll have no one that can help you immediately. Labor warranty work has to be done by the dealer who sold it to you. Your dealer can make all the difference.

Who has ever had enough fabric? Not I. But I do agree with do you want it versus do you need it. This is my problem with a lot of things! Have a great evening!

I have the 6500 now for almost 12 years and really like this machine but would buy the singer S18 because it is the same machine but cheaper. That is what I would do if I needed to replace the Janome 6500. I feel no need for the 6600 or later models.

I think that only buying what I need is surviving, not living. If I can afford what I want then it's mine.

You guys are great! Thank you for all of your ideas. Now to make up my mind. Hmmmm.

I have to disagree with this statement. Only buying what I need is much more than surviving as long as I'm doing it by choice to simplify my life.

To the OP, you already want it and can afford it, so have at it. I'm not familiar with either machine, but if I were buying, I'd certainly want the stop/start thingy.

Life is short, go test drive and see if its an investment you want to make. I don't regret purchasing my high end brother. If you can afford it why not?

I am not familiar with the Magnolia 7330 but I know I could never part with my 6600... we are bonded for life.

I went from the Janome 6500 to 6600 mainly because the 6600 has a 9" harp space versus a 6" harp space as I do my own FMQ. Both are great machines.

If the 6500 only has 6" of harp space I'd not get it as a serious quilter. There is a world of difference between 6" and 9" of harp or throat space!

I agree with everything Melanie said. I had a 6600 machine and traded up for the 8900. Although I like my 8900, the 6600 is still one of the best machines I owned. I too could quilt large quilts, the walking foot system allowed me to do fantastic stitch-in-the-ditch. I didn't have issues with cleaning out the bobbin case. I think that is the nature of a drop in bobbin machine. Good luck on you decision.

I really really disliked (hated) my Janome 6500 although many others loved it. Mine was a problem right from the beginning (company finally replaced it). The bobbin case would jam, rattle and jump (finally found out that there is a wick hole under the case that dries out and needs a drop of oil once in a while although this is not mentioned in the manual and my dealer seemed to know nothing about it). It hesitated and balked starting and stitching over seam junctions, hated thicker layers and wouldn't feed fabric in evenly. It clearly should have been painted yellow! The replaced machine was better but still had some of the same issues. I finally got so fed up with it that I sold it on Kijiji for $500 (paid $2000) and bought myself a lovely Juki Exceed 600.

I am perfectly happy with my machines...now maybe if you were looking at quilting machines, I might have an opinion...

I have the 6500 and love it. I've had it about 10 years and never had one bit of trouble with it. It has the 9" harp although one other post said it didn't and they traded up to the 6600 because of this. I think they are the same machine with the 6600 having additional features.

If the machine has features that your other machine doesn't have and you know that it will help your sewing then I say go for it.

Just curious, do you know if Janome is making all the current Singers? A friend asked me about buying a Singer on Black Friday sale at Tuesday Morning (because I love sewing machines friends think I know all about them-LOL) I looked up the model & for some reason the description made me think it might be a Janome. Since Tuesday Morning has a 90 day return policy I advised her to buy it, & actually use it for projects before the 90 days passed. So far she loves it.

The Janome 6500P also includes many features designed especially for the quilter including: a 9" x 5" throat space for working with large quilts,

Bought a Janome 15000, but I kept my 6600. Love that machine and I just wouldn't let it go.

Life is short, there are few things I get to enjoy these day due to my health, If i see something I want and it will make me happy, I get it as long as I can afford it. Most of out purchases in the line of sewing machines are wants not needs, lol.....be happy and enjoy life , it is short. Joy

There is a big price difference between the two. If it's a want, as you stated, I think you already have made up your mind.

No Janome does not build all singers, but they are the biggest manufacturer of machines in the world. You can find kenmores, babylocks, and singer models built by Janome, but they only build select models. Its important to remember that just because something looks like a Janome, it does not mean it has the quality parts in it that Janomes are known to have.

A sewing machine is not unlike an automobile. It isn't an investment! Especially if it is purchased new. Like an automobile, half the value (or half what you paid, however you want to look at it) goes out the window the minute you sign on the dotted line. That's just the way it is. So your $1,400 "investment" is worth maybe $750 the day you bring it home. That's make it very difficult, if not impossible, to look at it as an investment. Or, maybe it is an investment...just a very, very bad one. Looking at it another way, you like it, it does something for you, you will sew more and enjoy it more if you have it, well, that's a different story. If you can afford it and you want it, I say give it to yourself. It looks like a great machine, checking on-line I see from some retailers it comes with lots of extras. It appears to be a good value, a lot for you money...let us know your decision. Choose wisely.

I said it is what I think not what I think others should think.

Be sure it uses regular needles and not the round industrial ones. They are difficult to use.

I have a memory Craft 6000 and it is my Go to machine out of 23 machines, for quilting and making labels. Love it Cmaras1234

I own a Janome 6500. I have had it for about 10 or 12 years now. I love it. I am looking to buy another one for a backup sometime in the near future before they are no longer available. I tried the 6600 but I thought with the built in walking foot it felt too bulking and in the way. That was my personal dislike. You may like a built in walking foot.

I tried the Janome 6600, it has the built in walking foot; the foot is much bulkier than the Pfaff machines I tried.

I like the Pfaff machines with IDT, built in walking foot. I have 2 of them, Quilt Expression 4.2 for quilting and sewing at home; Passport 2.0 for classes. I got an inheritance and it was enough for the machines that I wanted, no worries about going in to debt to pay for them.
Sharon in Texas

I am not sure what the Janome 6500 is, but I have the 6600 and I love that machine. It is a work horse. I know that I will never use all of the features, but there are some that I love

Last year I purchased a Magnolia 7330 because it is a smaller machine that I can carry to classes easier. I love that machine as well.

In my limited use of the available functions, the main differences that I can see have been:

The 6600's bed is wide and does not adjust. So I can't hem pants and work on blouse sleeves. But that is the ONLY negative that I have found on the 6600 since I purchased it 2 years ago

When I use my Magnolia 7330.. I miss the auto thread cutter when I use it. I also miss the knee lift very much when I use it. The throat is not as big on the Magnolia so I have had some quilting issues.

This may be a user issue, but I have not been able to FMQ with my Magnolia. I have tried but I can't get the tension correct. My 6600 I can FMQ easily - - well the machine behaves, my skill still has a lot to be desired :)

I am not sorry that I bought my 6600. I love this machine and I feel like it will serve me for a very long time

Whether you should buy it or not really depends on your money. I don't think you will be sorry that you purchase it as long as you have the money. My son was going to college and I was dumping a lot of money to the university, so I figured I was allowed to spend some money on myself :) hee hee hee

I don't understand this, as I have to put on my walking foot... or at least what I call the walking foot :)