Sews fast, but jams occasionally
585243
I've been learning how to sew, and I thought a beginner machine would be perfect; if sewing didn't pan out for me, then little love lost, right? However, I have taken to the hobby. Unfortunately, the sewing machine has not taken to me. A machine that jams is like a rifle that misfires: is it any wonder I hesitate to charge in?

This doesn't appear to be a personal problem; even experienced seamstresses occasionally jammed, and struggled to untangle the thread underneath. My hypothesis is that this is an analogy machine (indicated by the stitch-selection knobs) and not a digital one. Digital machines, in any industry, tend to are the way to go.
136737
Nice cute sewing machine.  It took me awhile to figure out how to load the bottom thread, but after hours of trying to figure it out, I watched a 3 minute video on youtube and I was good.  I haven't quite figured out the tension.  I purchased this mostly for hemming pants and the tension needs to be adjusted because the first pair didn't turn out very well.  I just have to take more time to get it figured out.
1420315
Works well for the most part, but the fabric gets caught and snagged under the presser foot often, and it's a major hassle freeing the mess that has been created.
1317875
A little hard to thread, but once you do, they sew like a dream.
424841
Great beginning sew machine... It got stuck a few times and I've learned the best way to handle this is to use the knob to begin stitching a bit before using the foot pedal. Seemed to work fine after that.
2750573
For something that is not suppose to jam, this does well below the 12 sheet limit. I fed 5 - 6 sheets ( at one time)  and got my first jam.  They suggest pulling the paper out to clear the jam. You can only do this with needle nose pliers and lots of time.  I also added lubricating oil to the mechanism as suggested to help remove the jam.  After I cleared it, it jammed again, another 15 minutes of doing the same thing.  Keep it to 4 or 5 regular weight papers at a time and you should be ok.  ON THE POSITIVE SIDE machine does not overheat  shutdown. This is a good thing.
960852
I needed this for the 20 sheet capacity but it always jams! I found that it's useful if you stapling 10-12 with no problem.....
3200942
This replaced the Singer Stylist I had had for 6 years.  At first, it felt like a much more luxurious machine.  The added table space and included feet were really nice bonus features.  Once I started going through them, I realized I would have to replace a few feet as certain feet worked on the Singer, but not on the Brother and were NOT included.  No big deal; I expected a bit of that with ANY new machine.  I did 3 easy projects (doll dresses) without a problem.  The bobbin threading system is much the same as the Stylist and both of my other drop-in machines and was very easy to load correctly.  There are stickers all over the machine to remind you of the thread paths, so it's really easy to do correctly.  What I did notice for bobbins is that winding isn't always pristine.  I've had to re-wind 2 because they were not evenly wound.  There were no loops like you'd see if the thread wasn't placed properly for tension, but they were too bottom heavy or too top heavy and the thread would have gotten tangled during sewing.  Not a super huge deal, but something I'd never had to do with my Singer.

The included stitches provide a really nice variety.  I played with the utility stitches quite a bit and was pleased there.  I did 2 buttonholes just for fun and both were easy, clean, and precise.  There are several buttonhole styles included so you have options and this was another improvement over my Stylist's options.

The piece I miss most and will probably replace first is the gathering foot.  My Stylist has one included but the Brother does not.  Given that I do a lot of projects with ruffles and gathers (dresses!), this is pretty crucial.  I REALLY wish this had been included or at least compatible with both machines.

The only other big difference that I have seen is that the Brother seems to be slightly less powerful.  Where I could sew through 2 layers of vinyl with ease on my Stylist, the Brother sometimes doesn't feed well or needs to be set on the lowest speed to do a good job.  The feed dogs also seem to be less powerful or not quite aligned just right.  I can usually zip a straight line through my Stylist, no problem, but I have to really watch this one. The faster the speed setting, the more problematic the feed becomes. On smaller projects, this isn't so much a big deal.  On bigger projects, the speed and time taken adds up and has gotten on my nerves a time or two.

Overall, this is a great machine.  It has more utility stitches than my previous and the added table is a nice bonus that I have enjoyed more than once.  The case is great, though I rarely use it because I am always sewing!  This is a great machine with just a few quirks that are easy enough to work around.
2184942
Good product and fast scanning but jams with different paper sizes. Otherwise very efficient and smooth with a very small footprint.
4533991
This was a very labor-intensive purchase.  The first machine I received did not print color, and when I called Brother tech support, I was told that I was not using "Brother paper."  I was ready to return it when an Amazon representative asked me if I would just try another machine of the same model because the first one might be a lemon.  I said yes.  The second one set up fine, was easy to use, and was fast.....although it jammed regularly, some of the times being "not-jammed" jams. Otherwise, all was well until I moved two months later and had to change the network password (SSID).  I have worked on this machine for two full days now -- much of the time being with Brother tech support.  As of this moment, it will not print because it says there is a jam, which, again, I cannot find. And it went offline again.  Buy this machine only if you have a lot of time on your hands and you love to play with machines.
2330377
Worked well for for the price. Only jammed one time
4065395
I returned mine because it doesn't really work and it's hard to operate properly. Even when it is sewing it is very quickly coming apart.
4960810
For the price it's an awesome printer,, HOWEVER, there are problems.
1. I've never had a printer that jammed as consistently as this. I'm not sure if its the strange slide-in paper loading tray or what, but yeah it jams A LOT.
2. My neighbor saw me bringing the box in and tells me that she has the same printer, and someone hijacked it and printed a bunch of cooking articles, so I just unplug it when its not in use (causing me to run the print alignment again and deal with the jamming)

EDIT: DO NOT BUY THIS.
461813
There must have been some sort of manufacturing problem with the Sewist 500 at one point. Like others have mentioned, the first machine I received made an awful noise when I tried to use it. However, the return process was quick and easy, and machine #2 has been working like a dream ever since. I'm not going to lower my review of the machine because of that!

I decided to buy a sewing machine because I wanted to learn how to sew. After doing lots of research on various brands and machines, I kept reading great things about Janome. They seem to have a reputation for machines that are built well and easy to use -- two things I was looking for (aren't we all?). Computerized machines are a great fit for some, but personally, I liked the idea of having a mechanical machine that I could control a bit more. The Sewist 500 has manual tension control, which can be tricky at first, but is helpful when working with different fabrics and thicknesses. You also have control over the presser foot pressure, which helps with sewing layers of fabric. I've sewn all kinds of things on my Sewist 500. Everything from purses to clothing to small quilting projects.

I've had my machine for about a year and a half, and it's done everything I've wanted it to do so far. If you're really into quilting or embroidery, there are specialty machines that would probably be better suited for you. But as for a basic machine that you can do general sewing projects with, the Sewist 500 is great!
144646
The thread tends to get caught up in the mechanics at times.  When I got it I noticed that someone else's packing slip was on the side of the box.  (Obviously a return.)  I don't sew a lot so I just decided to keep it.  But if you do sew a lot, don't get this machine.
3846983
My mother-in-law uses this thread when she sews quilts for Lutheran World Relief.  She goes through a considerable amount of thread as she sews five days each week.  Apparently the biggest problem is batch-to-batch quality differences.  Sometimes the thread is excellent, while once in a while she will get a batch with numerous knots in the middle of the spool.  This interfers with her sewing.  Other than that this thread is more than adequate, and definitely a good buy at this price.
4479489
Great, sturdy clear thread, but it tangles easily. It got tangled in itself twice while I was trying to wind the bobbin with my machine (once normally, once more slowly). The bobbin thread also gets tangled in itself sometimes while actually sewing and will eventually stall my machine and force itself to break off. Useful to have, but works much better for hand-sewing purposes.