Janome 8002D Review

I had an opportunity to review the Janome 8002D serger on a recent trip to Stuart Sew and Vac. Anytime I take a trip to Jensen Beach, Florida to visit Stuart Sew and Vac, I am not disappointed.

Janome 8002D

Needless to say, this visit was once again, well worth the trip. This is a serger that I had been watching for a little while and heard good things about, but had not been able to get my hands on.

At A Glance

To look at it, the Janome 8002D is rather nondescript. The only thing about this serger that jumped out at me was the interesting pattern on the looper door.

Upon opening the looper door, however, I discovered a very easy to follow threading guide and the fact that there is no space inside for storing much needed, often used serger supplies.

Thread tension guide for all four thread positions

I had become accustomed to seeing plastic holders for standard supplies like needles, tweezers and a lint brush at the very least, but the Janome 8002D had none of those. A decal displaying the thread tension guide for all four thread positions is instead.

In addition the Janome 8002D also has a seam guide, a retractable blade, adjustable stitch length and width, a differential feed and an on board thread cutter.

Adjustable stitch length and width dials

Features

• Built in thread cutter
• Differential feed
• Rolled hem changeover device
• Use 3 or 4 threads and 1 or 2 needles
• Color coded threading guide
• Snap on presser feet
• Retractable knife
• Adjustable presser foot pressure

Working on the Janome 8002D

When compared with other sergers in its price range, threading the Janome 8002D is surprisingly easy… so easy, in fact, that using the tweezers is almost unnecessary.

Setting it up to sew is just as easy. The stitches are well formed and the machine is lightening fast. There is a little bit more noise than I am comfortable with, but practically no vibration at all.

The seam guide is clearly displayed in raised numbers on the left edge of the looper door and is easy to use, even when working at a rapid pace. One thing that must be noted, however, is that the Janome 8002D requires that you use only HA-ISP #11 – 14 needles.

Fabrics

• Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool
• Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet
• Knits
• Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester
• Upholstery
• Leather/suede
• Fur
• Reptile skin
• Canvas/Twill
• Plastic/Rubber
• Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers

Accessories

Although there is no place to store them on board, the Janome 8002D comes with the following standard accessories:

• Set of needles
• 2 screwdrivers (1 large/1small)
• Tweezers

Maintenance

Tying Off The Loose Ends

When it comes to sergers, I must say, the Janome 8002D is one of the easiest to operate that I have reviewed to date. I have no hesitation recommending this one for use by children as young as nine or ten.

It is easy to thread – which is always the most challenging part of working on any serger. The large dials that control the differential feed and the size of the stitches are easy for small hands to manipulate as well as older hands that may be challenged by arthritis.

This brings me to another point. There are lots of people out there who for one reason or another stopped sewing while focusing on careers or raising families and are now returning to the craft.

Although these individuals may have had many years experience working on sewing machines, they may not have had any prior experience with sergers until now.

The Janome 8002D is an excellent introductory serger for the home sewer who has many years of sewing experience, but never before attempted to use a serger. It is user friendly and learning to use it will take only a few minutes for anyone who has already mastered the use of a sewing machine.

It is also an ideal choice for the college student or for the person who works primarily with knits and athletic wear. The stitch quality is excellent.

Easy to follow threading guide

The solid feel and virtual lack of vibration while working on the Janome 8002D makes this one of the most pleasant serging experiences any home sewer could wish for.

While I prefer a quieter machine, the Janome 8002D is not excessively noisy. While it may be a bit of a challenge to hold a telephone conversation while sewing, you will definitely be able to listen to music or even have the television at a normal volume level while working.

To be honest, I was a bit surprised to discover that there is no place inside the looper door for frequently used serging supplies – especially needles, tweezers and lint brush.

These are essential and in my opinion take away from the overall superiority of this machine’s efficiency. I love the way it operates, and am very pleased with the end results.

Any sewing machine or serger, however, must also be efficient and designed in such a way as to make the sewing experience a pleasant and time saving one.

While not having the supplies at your fingertips may seem like a very small inconvenience, for me it raises questions like… “What in the world were they thinking?”

I don’t know about everyone who reads my reviews, but I do know that my time is precious and sometimes the time I have to devote to sewing is very limited.

I like to be able to get as much done as efficiently as possible without sacrificing quality. This means I need machines that are designed with quality workmanship as well as efficiency in mind.

A wonderful machine

Not having the accessories on board is not a deal breaker in my book, but it is definitely something to take into consideration if you are an extremely busy person.

Besides, if you are one of those people whose sewing room is not the best organized or – let’s just say it – if you have one of those extremely cluttered sewing rooms, then you need to have a serger that helps you keep things that you will need to use that serger close at hand at all times. Who wants to be digging through bags, boxes and who knows what when it’s time to replace a needle?

Aside from that one issue, I sincerely believe the Janome 8002D is a wonderful machine that will serve anyone who has it in their sewing room well.

If you think you can work around that one truly minor challenge, then my advice is to definitely take a long hard look at the Janome 8002D before making a decision to bring a new serger into your home.

Not only is it easy to thread and easy to maintain, the Janome 8002D produces great stitch quality, is affordable with an MSRP of only $449, and is built to last, guaranteeing you many, many years of great service.