Janome Memory Craft 500E Embroidery Machine

This machine is well made and has features and hoop sizes equal to much pricier machines. Because it is a dedicated embroidery machine it excels at embroidery. Like any machine, it has it's own quirks but so do the pricier machines. The quirks are easy to live with and if it is more reliable that our previous pricier machine, it will be a win-win situation!

Machine is well made; it runs fast and quiet. I agree with some of the reviews if you need to learn CNC embroidery this may not be for you. Start with something less expensive but I would recommend Janome. This purchase to replace my wife's MC300E so she was up and running in just a few minutes. So far, no problems at all and the extras are a big plus. Don't forget a CF card readier if you have older designs you want to use with this machine. You will need to transfer them to a thumb drive or use CF reader attached to the machine.

Why did you pick this product vs others?: The machine was advertised “used like new”, and although it really looked new, never used, and put back in the original box with all the content, but without the the instructional DVD and the embroidery editor CD, they did not package the machine properly and was almost falling apart. Basically all the screws under the machine were loose laying at the button of the box. A plastic cover on top of the machine and one piece by the embroidery surface were misaligned; I had to push those plastic covers to close the gaps between back and front, and screw 2 tiny missing screws in the embroidery arm. They did not bother wrapping the box with enough tape to the point that the button of the box was almost exposed, what I believe contributed to the machine to shake inside and and all the screws got loose and the plastic panels detached. Long story short, I was lucky that nothing got damaged. I tested the machine with three designs, and didn’t notice any mechanical problem. Maybe the fact that Janome machines are so tough and well put together, this one in particular did not suffer any critical damage at all, and I was not obligated to return it.

I’m sure this is a great machine and works wonderfully! Buuuuut I don’t think sewing is up my alley! It was very complicated for me (I had no prior experience) so I decided to return it. I had to watch several YouTube videos to help get it set up and ready to use. The thread kept breaking off inside of the machine, not sure if that was user error or bad thread or if something is wrong with the machine!

i /we don't write many reviews, but i really must say, after using the Janome Memory Craft 500E Embroidery Machine for a year now, the simplicity of its use, dependably is superb, it is quiet, temperamental, what i mean is don't mix threads, bobbin and spool, use like for like, you break a needle, look for broken piece, any unfamiliar noise, you did not find broken end of needle, maintain as per instructions, in the first year over 500 of use, issues that developed were operator error, machine is smart, very easy to use , you must learn to download files, this a minor learning curve, but when you learn, there are so many projects you can do. we made several free standing lace Christmas ornaments for gifts, besides projects for children, grand kids, and friends. if you are looking for an embroidery machine only, go try one out at a dealer, I bought this off amazon for my wife for a Christmas gift last year, did a lot of research. I am very pleased with the purchase.

Please, don’t buy this online!!! I received mine thought everything was fine but the stitching seamed off. Wait to take a class and found out it wasn’t anything I was doing but the machine was defective. Because it had been 35 days there answer was for me to pay to mail it back and they would either fix or replace the item, and I was lucky they were willing to pay 1/2. If I had bought this locally I would have had much better customer service, on site help, and not have to pay to ship the machine back to the seller every time the machine needs service. Please think about this before you think it’s a great price!!!! By the way shipping is any where from $135-150 so save your box! Now for the machine, overall on a machine that actually stitches correctly, it’s simple for a beginner to use and have been happy with the ease of use. Had I received a machine that worked my review would have been a 5 star review. However, I don’t feel that a hard and fast 30 day return policy is remotely fair, especially since some of us wait to take a class. So if you do buy this machine take it immediately to your local Janome dealer and make sure it was working correctly. If the arm that attaches to your hoop is flops up, and is not attached in the back this is not put together correctly.

Didn’t realize this was not capable of regular sewing as well so I returned it

I LOVE this embroidery machine. So easy to use, especially if you have had an embroidery machine in the past. My first project was a cat face on a red stocking for my daughter. It came out beautiful!

I purchased this 3 months ago. The motor seized and bushings gone. Because I purchased from USA and live in Canada. No warranty I find out. Buyer Beware