Size: 35 x 37 x 38 cm
Material: Alloy steel
Weight: 8kg
Colour: grey
Summary
The Janome 9300dx overlocker / serger is great Value For Money, is a really good machine for a beginner to start overlocking / serging as it’s straightforward, robust and it’s a machine you won’t grow out of quickly! It produces even, well formed and good quality stitches, it feels fairly sturdy and it is smooth to use.
It’s a solid machine, not too plasticy as some overlockers / sergers are and it looks good.
It is also able to handle a wide range of fabrics from thinner cottons to heavier fabrics or thicker padded fabrics. A bit fiddly to thread at first.
Incidentally, this Janome overlocker / serger is called a Kenmore in USA.
We’re an affiliate and we hope you love all the products we recommend! Just so you know, we may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page. Thank you if you use our links, we really appreciate it.
Thread Type
The Janome 9300dx is a standard 3 and 4 thread overlocker.
Its Fast!
If you like to overlock / serge at tops speed the Janome 9300dx has a maximum speed of 1,500 stitches per minute, so its a little faster than some others on the market!
Easy Rolled Hem Attachment and A Gathering Foot
There is an easy to use rolled hem setting which doesn’t require a different foot. There is a gathering foot attachment with is included with the Janome.
Cuts as it Stitches
This machine does have a cutting blade which can be easily and safely lowered into a disengaged position if you prefer not to cut. There is also an adjustment dial so you can change how much fabric is cut away when you are overlocking / serging.
Not a Noisy Machine!
We thought the Janome 9300dx runs quietly and sits fairly solidly on the work surface too without jumping too much.
A Little Fiddly to Thread, but Stick With It!
Yes, this machine is a little fiddly to thread up if you’ve never threaded an overlocker before. However there is an instruction DVD which is helpful, the manual and a colour coded threading chart inside the lower right front cover to help you.
With the Janome 9300dx, as with any overlocker / serger, you have to be prepared to take your time and practice. Once you’ve practised threading and rethreading several times you’ll get used to it and it definitely becomes much easier. Remember for Janome machines (unlike Singers or Brothers) when you thread you should start from the thread on the right and move one at a time to the left, which actually feels more intuitive.
It also comes with some cones of white thread, ready threaded so you can practice as soon as you get it without having to immediately learn threading if you don't want to. When you change the colour of the thread, tie your thread to the white thread and pull it through the machine so you still can avoid facing the threading process!
With this overlocker / serger remember when threading, the presser foot needs to be in the raised (up) position to open the tension disks so you can get the thread in. When you lower the presser foot the tension disks apply tension to the thread. It seems likely that some of the problems other people have with threading this machine is because the haven’t done this.
The Manual - Get The Threading Looper Tool!!!
The manual is helpful and reading and following the manual is essential to help you thread the machine too.
Strangely the manual shows the machine being threaded using a threading looper tool which is not included in the accessory pack of the machine! The manual says its optional and you can thread this machine with tweezers, which are included. But its easier using the threading looper tool. If you want the threading looper tool you have to buy it separately.
The threading tool only costs a few £ / $ so why they wouldn’t include it is a mystery as its in their manual. That said, we have not seen this tool included in any accessory pack for any overlocker / serger (we stand to be corrected, if you’ve seen it included with another overlocker / serger, please let us know).
So, we definitely recommend if you’re going to buy the Janome 9300dx or in-fact any overlocker / serger, this very cheap little threading looper tool will certainly help you. Especially if your vision is less than A1!
Accessories Pack
There is a limited pack of accessories with the Janome 9300dx. The pack includes tweezers, a pack of needles, some screwdrivers, a gathering foot, an operational DVD, a manual and a foot control (peddle).
It does not have a cleaning brush, spool nets or thread tops to keep your thread spools in place. It’s nice to have a generous pack of accessories but, that being said, most of the things you get in a pack are not expensive to buy or difficult to find. We’ve included a list of basic accessories you might want to buy to improve your overlocking / serging experience and a link to them on Amazon for quick delivery.
For links to these very low cost accessories click here:
No Carrying Case
The Janome 9300dx doesn’t come with a carrying case and most overlockers / sergers don’t. If you want to take it to classes or retreats etc then think about investing in a good quality bag or trolley. There is a whole range of cases and trolleys available and we have reviewed a few of our favourite carrying cases.
The presser foot released and removed by a release button mechanism rather than a screw driver so its easier than most.
Downsides of the Janome 9300dx
Well really there aren't many negatives with the Janome 9300dx. Here are a few things to note:
No Lint Catcher
The Janome doesn’t have a waste thread or lint catcher attachment. This is not usually a show stopper as many models on the market don’t have one. You can work around fairly easily and keep a small bag or box nearby to use for your offcuts.
No Cleaning Brush
Unusually this machine doesn’t come with a lint brush to keep your machine dust free particularly when you have the knife engaged and are cutting lots of fabric. Although this is unusual its not a problem as most brushes that we have seen that come with overlockers are very very small anyway. We recommend getting yourself a paintbrush which would have more and longer bristles than the average brush and a longer handle so you can reach right into the machine. Choose a brush with nylon bristles as the static build up helps you pick up fluff, dust and lint more easily.
If you’re buying this machine we recommend getting this very cheap 3 nylon brush set (we have listed the cheapest we could find - only a few £/$. They'll do the job!):
No Carrying Case
It doesn’t come with a carrying case and again most overlockers / sergers don't. We have a few very good generic overlocker / serger carrying cases.
We’re an affiliate and we hope you love all the products we recommend! Just so you know, we may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page. Thank you if you use our links, we really appreciate it.
Comments