Janome FMQ tension
04-27-2011, 07:13 PM
#72
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: WI
Posts: 706
Switch your bobbin thread would be the first thing to try.
If this is a new purchase go back you may have a defective item that should be taken care of. Since we deal in vintage amchines we quite often get calls of ension off etc. 9.5 percent of the time they have missed one of the threading guids or discs time and tme again and have set themselves up for trouble. We take great sympathy for them as we work on machines many times that have no manual and are just a hair different that another machine. Consut the manual,go on line and look up sewing machine trouble shooting or call the company.
If this is a new purchase go back you may have a defective item that should be taken care of. Since we deal in vintage amchines we quite often get calls of ension off etc. 9.5 percent of the time they have missed one of the threading guids or discs time and tme again and have set themselves up for trouble. We take great sympathy for them as we work on machines many times that have no manual and are just a hair different that another machine. Consut the manual,go on line and look up sewing machine trouble shooting or call the company.
04-27-2011, 07:17 PM
#73
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 1,191
I have a Janome Horizon, and have settled into the following setup for FMQ: blue bobbin case, tension at 3, feed dog tension at 5. I do best with Gutterman Dekor (polyester) thread in the top, and Bottom Line thread in the bobbin. I just recently did some work with metallic thread, which can be problematic, and it worked quite well ... better with a metallic needle
I had a lot of problems when I first got the machine last summer, but most were, I think, user issues.
Cotton threads don't work well for me.
I had a lot of problems when I first got the machine last summer, but most were, I think, user issues.
Cotton threads don't work well for me.
04-27-2011, 08:39 PM
#74
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Singapore
Posts: 331
Originally Posted by cat-on-a-mac
I have a Janome Horizon, and have settled into the following setup for FMQ: blue bobbin case, tension at 3, feed dog tension at 5. I do best with Gutterman Dekor (polyester) thread in the top, and Bottom Line thread in the bobbin. I just recently did some work with metallic thread, which can be problematic, and it worked quite well ... better with a metallic needle
I had a lot of problems when I first got the machine last summer, but most were, I think, user issues.
Cotton threads don't work well for me.
I had a lot of problems when I first got the machine last summer, but most were, I think, user issues.
Cotton threads don't work well for me.
04-27-2011, 10:40 PM
#75
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 86
Yes my Janome acts up occationally. With FMQ try rethreading it or make sure you set things up right according to the instructions. The right needle and thread will also help. Then my machine works well. Today I didn't have everything right and boy did I have problems for a while. It seems to be all in the set up. For got to say that I have a 6600 Janome. Yes at times it gets sinsitive, but I love it. It took me a while to get use to it. I was use to a Sears that was 20 some years old. Eveything has it little quirks, even me. :-D
04-27-2011, 11:56 PM
#76
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: South Yorkshire UK
Posts: 1,145
Originally Posted by midwifehc
I was thinking about getting a Janome 6500 or 6600 for a long while and joined the yahoo group. There seemed to be a lot of people with tension issues FMQ. I couldn't understand for the life of me why one brand of machine would recommend a different bobbin case to FMQ-everyone else's machines do fine without. At that point I decided to get Brother QC1000-great FMQ from day 1, no tension issues.
04-28-2011, 04:00 AM
#77
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Brick, NJ
Posts: 819
I too have had a number of problems with my Janome 6600p, although usually (and I mean usually, not always) have not had issues with the tension.
I've had better luck using Guterman's poly thread than Mettlar's cotton -- but really couldn't believe that any machine would prefer poly to cotton (and I prefer the look of cotton for topstitching). Was amazed that others are saying the same thing...thought for sure it was just me (operator error).
I suspect some of my problems might be due to timing but I've had the machine serviced once, to the tune of $100 (and the machine is just over a year old) and dread spending that amount again. My most common problems are thread shredding and skipping stitches. I've cleaned the machine over and over, changed the bobbin case (red/blue), the bobbin, the needle plate, the needle, and the feet.
BTW I have two FMQ feet (the clear one that comes with the machine and a metal circle one that is sold separately) and learned that when using the circle one, which has a spring/height adjustment, you DO have to adjust the height for it to work properly. The clear one does not have any adjustment.
I've had better luck using Guterman's poly thread than Mettlar's cotton -- but really couldn't believe that any machine would prefer poly to cotton (and I prefer the look of cotton for topstitching). Was amazed that others are saying the same thing...thought for sure it was just me (operator error).
I suspect some of my problems might be due to timing but I've had the machine serviced once, to the tune of $100 (and the machine is just over a year old) and dread spending that amount again. My most common problems are thread shredding and skipping stitches. I've cleaned the machine over and over, changed the bobbin case (red/blue), the bobbin, the needle plate, the needle, and the feet.
BTW I have two FMQ feet (the clear one that comes with the machine and a metal circle one that is sold separately) and learned that when using the circle one, which has a spring/height adjustment, you DO have to adjust the height for it to work properly. The clear one does not have any adjustment.
04-28-2011, 04:55 AM
#78
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 1,191
[quote=vivientans it possible to adjust the feed dog tension? Or is it only specific to the Horizon? I don't think I'm able to adjust my 6260.[/quote]
Sorry, I don't know about the 6260. I know my other, older, machine which is a kenmore (but made by Janome) did not have any way to adjust the tension on the feet, and it always bugged me. I might have used the wrong term, by the way, when I said "feed dog tension". I'm talking about the adjustment that affects how strongly the feet are pushed down onto the fabric.
Sorry, I don't know about the 6260. I know my other, older, machine which is a kenmore (but made by Janome) did not have any way to adjust the tension on the feet, and it always bugged me. I might have used the wrong term, by the way, when I said "feed dog tension". I'm talking about the adjustment that affects how strongly the feet are pushed down onto the fabric.
04-28-2011, 05:17 PM
#80
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Gimli,Manitoba,Canada
Posts: 208
Well...it'd done...I FMQ'd my queen size quilt, using the blue dot bobbin case, and all your advice as well, and I am happy to say "goodbye to eyelashes on the backside of the quilt. After all my frustration during the past year, I am so thankful and relieved...how many of you were waiting for the screams???? Thankyou. Thankyou.Thankyou for letting me vent about the problem, offering advice, and being so patient with all of us who have tension issues on our Janomes. As soon as i get the binding on, I will post a pic.:)
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