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Janome MOD-50 Review

A strong, easy-to-use sewing machine with good basic sewing and excellent zippering
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Janome MOD-50 Review (We try every setting on all kinds of fabrics to get a true sense of our tested machines.)
We try every setting on all kinds of fabrics to get a true sense of our tested machines.
Credit: Laura Casner
Price:  $599 List
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Manufacturer:   Janome
By Austin Palmer and Ruth Bruckbauer  ⋅  Jun 12, 2023
70
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#10 of 15
  • Sewing - 45% 6.5
  • Ease of use - 35% 8.1
  • Buttonholes - 20% 6.2

Our Verdict

Janome is a Japanese company with manufacturing plants in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. The MOD-50 is a good machine with a beautiful light-up screen featuring very clear labeling and directions. The way this machine sews zippers made us nearly swoon with delight. It earned a perfect score in our zipper tests, better than any of the other sewing machines we tested, and scored above average in our other stitching tests. That said, priced significantly higher than other comparable sewing machines, be ready to spend some dough if this is the machine you want.
REASONS TO BUY
Light up screen is helpful
Easy to set up
REASONS TO AVOID
Struggles with stretch fabrics

Compare to Similar Products

 
janome mod-50
This Product
Janome MOD-50
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Sewing Machine for Most People
Top Pick Award
Best for Serious Stitch Options
Top Pick Award
Best High-Value Buttonhole Maker
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for Your Buck
Price $599 List
$299.00 at Amazon
$260 List
$259.99 at Amazon
$650 List
$499.99 at Amazon
$300 List$150 List
$149.70 at Amazon
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Bottom Line Easy to set up and use, this sewing machine is great with zippersA simple to use option with lots of stitches, an excellent screen, and an affordable price, but isn't the cleanest buttonhole makerExcessive features for newbies, but a solid machine that will thrill an experienced seamstress or tailor and will last for yearsThis is a great machine for just about everyone, although a serious sewist may want a machine with better quality stitchingA beginner would really like this machine since it's easy-to-use and inexpensive
Rating Categories Janome MOD-50 Brother HC1850 Singer 9960 Quantum... Singer 7258 Stylist Brother CS5055
Sewing (45%)
6.5
7.8
7.8
7.5
6.8
Ease of use (35%)
8.1
9.3
8.2
7.8
8.0
Buttonholes (20%)
6.2
5.6
7.2
7.2
6.8
Specs Janome MOD-50 Brother HC1850 Singer 9960 Quantum... Singer 7258 Stylist Brother CS5055
# of Built-in Stitches 50 185 600 100 60
# of Buttonhole Styles 3 8 13 6 7
Automatic Bobbin Winder Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Manufacturer Stated Maximum Sewing Speed (stitches per minute) 820 850 850 750 750
Computerized? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Buttonhole Sewing (number of steps) 1-Step 1-Step 1-Step 1-Step 1-Step
Maximum Stitch Width 7mm 7mm 7mm 6mm 7mm
Maximum Stitch Length 5mm 5mm 5mm 4.8mm 5mm
Thread Cutter Built-in Built-in Automatic Built-in Built-in
Cover Soft No Hard Soft No
Free Arm Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Measured Weight 12.9 lbs 10.5 lbs 19.7 lbs 14.6 lbs 10.8 lbs

Our Analysis and Test Results

This was not the first time we tested Janome sewing machines, and we were suitably impressed all over again. Easy to set up, this Janome MOD-50 delivered some solid above-average scores in many of our testing comparisons.

Performance Comparison


janome mod-50 - in our testing, we used multiple stitches on each type of fabric.
In our testing, we used multiple stitches on each type of fabric.
Credit: Laura Casner

Sewing


Scoring above average in nearly every single testing metric, the Janome MOD-50 came out on the sunny side of our sewing tests. Sewing is, of course, the reason you buy a sewing machine, so we paid particular attention to each machine's ability to sew a select few stitches: straight, zig-zag, and blind hem being the top three because those are used the most in the widest array of sewing. We used the manufacturer's recommended settings for each of our tests.

While this Janome machine gave us a perfect score for sewing in a zipper, it really fell behind in the zig-zag stitch and its cousin, the scallop stitch. Both scored below average due to the bottom tension being too tight and bunching up the material, particularly with cotton jersey. In fact, this machine had difficulty sewing the cotton jersey with any of the stitches we tested. And then, amazingly, it did just fine with our multi-layer denim test, going through all the layers of the denim without a problem. Go figure.

But where the Janome MOD-50 really shone was the zipper. Where other sewing machines had a problem getting over the zipper stop, this machine went through everything as smoothly and as easily as can be.

janome mod-50 - there were quite a few problems sewing on the cotton jersey.
There were quite a few problems sewing on the cotton jersey.
Credit: Laura Casner

Ease of Use


No matter how well a sewing machine sews, it's useless if it's a pain in the neck to set up and use. Good thing that the Janome MOD-50 has a very easy set-up. With the lit computerized screen telling you what to do next and giving you which presser foot to use with which stitch, the stitch set-up is far above average. The threading, too, is super-easy, with clear directions telling you how to thread the machine and insert the bobbin.

Too bad getting the bobbin wound wasn't as easy, although, to be fair, the directions were clear enough; it's just that the quality of the winding wasn't as good. Inconsistent over three separate test windings, we determined that the bobbin was consistently bottom-heavy.

janome mod-50 - very clear and easy directions for threading the sewing machine and...
Very clear and easy directions for threading the sewing machine and the bobbin.
Credit: Laura Casner

Buttonholes


The MOD-50 scored solidly here, although the set-up was a little tricky. Unfortunately, you have to line up the buttonhole foot to the button as best you can eyeball because there are no colored lines, just indentations in the plastic. Sewing the buttonhole itself is a very smooth process, with good, even tension on the different fabrics we used. Cotton jersey was a bit funky, but every machine had some kind of difficulty with that fabric. As with any machine, you will get used to the quirks of this one too, and it should serve you well for many years.

janome mod-50 - the dust case for the machine.
The dust case for the machine.
Credit: Laura Casner

Should You Buy the Janome MOD-50?


If you are looking for a quality sewing machine at a reasonable price, then you'll need to continue looking. While the Janome MOD-50 is a quality sewing machine with very good capabilities, we feel that the price is not consistent with how it performs. While it is a pretty good machine, it's very expensive. However, if you know you're going to be installing a lot of zippers, perhaps this model may be what you're after.

janome mod-50 - the janome mod-50 was very easy to set up and use, but was priced...
The Janome MOD-50 was very easy to set up and use, but was priced too high for what it delivered.
Credit: Laura Casner

What Other Sewing Machines Should You Consider?


For some, a sewing machine is as much an emotional purchase as it is an intellectual purchase. Knowing that the MOD-50 is super easy to set up and then inserts a perfect zipper may be enough for some people to buy it. At this price point, though, there are better options. The Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist also installs a perfect zipper, outperforms the MOD-50 in all three metrics, has 600 stitch options, and costs about the same. If you're interested in a premium sewing machine and don't mind paying premium prices, the Juki HZL-F300 is our favorite model to make any project with.

Austin Palmer and Ruth Bruckbauer