Janome HD3000: threading, bobbin, tension and cleaning

Is this your machine?

The Janome HD3000 is a heavy-duty mechanical machine with a die-cast aluminum body: 18 stitches chosen on a dial, a four-step buttonhole, up to 6.5 mm zigzag and 4 mm stitch length, a free arm, drop feed, a built-in needle threader and what Janome calls a top-loading full rotary hook bobbin. It weighs about 18.7 pounds. This page follows Janome's instruction book for the version with the auto-declutch bobbin winder, which stops by itself when the bobbin is full.

Janome also sells an HD-3000 Black Edition with its own manual. Janome's bobbin and needle listings name both, but check the Black Edition's own book before relying on the steps here.

Needles and bobbins that fit

Janome's instruction book does not name a needle system. Sewing Parts Online lists the HD3000 as taking 15x1 needles, the ordinary household system, and Janome's own Blue Tip needles (part 200346007, size 11) list the HD-3000 as compatible.

• General sewing: #11/75 or #14/90.
• Light fabrics such as lawn, georgette and tricot: #9/65 to #11/75 with fine #80 to 100 thread.
• Medium fabrics such as sheeting, jersey, wool and knits: #11/75 to #14/90.
• Heavy fabrics such as denim, tweed, coating and quilting: #14/90 to #16/100.
• Fine fabrics, stretch fabrics and buttonholes: a blue tip needle, which Janome says prevents skipped stitches.

Use the same thread in the needle and the bobbin. The needle threader works with #11 to #16 needles or a blue tip, and thread sizes 50 to 90.

1. Turn the power switch off. Raise the needle.
2. Put the needle in with the flat side of the shank away from you, toward the back, pushed up as far as it will go. Tighten the clamp screw with the screwdriver.

For bobbins, Janome lists two parts as fitting the HD-3000: 102261103, "the standard Janome bobbin", and the clear 200122647 10-pack. Sewing Parts Online describes the HD3000's bobbin as Class 15 / A style. Janome's own pages do not use a class name, so the Janome part numbers are the safe order.

The bobbin sits in a removable bobbin holder. Janome's standard holder has a red mark on its tension screw; Janome also offers a blue-marked low-tension holder, part 202006008, with about 20 percent less tension for free-motion quilting and bobbin work.

Threading the top thread

1. Turn the handwheel toward you to raise the take-up lever to its highest point, and raise the presser foot.
2. Put the spool on the horizontal spool pin and press the large spool holder firmly against it (the small holder for small spools). Pass the thread through the top thread guide and bring it down the right-hand slot.
3. Take it around the bottom of the thread guide plate from right to left, and back up.
4. Pull it firmly right to left over the take-up lever and down into the take-up lever's eye.
5. Bring it down the left-hand slot.
6. Slide it from the left behind the needle bar thread guide, then thread the needle, or use the built-in threader.

Winding and dropping in the bobbin

1. Draw thread from the spool around the thread guide and around the bobbin winder thread guide.
2. Pass the end through the hole in the bobbin from the inside out. Put the bobbin on the winder spindle and push it to the right.
3. Hold the free end and press the foot control. Stop after a few turns, trim the tail close to the hole, then carry on. The winder stops by itself when the bobbin is full.
4. Push the spindle back to the left and cut the thread. The machine will not sew until the spindle is back to the left. An extra spool pin lets you wind a bobbin without unthreading the top.

Dropping it in

1. Slide the hook cover plate release button to the right and lift off the clear cover.
2. Drop the bobbin into the holder with the thread running counterclockwise seen from above.
3. Guide the thread into notch A at the front of the holder, then draw it left between the tension spring blades. Keep drawing lightly until it slips into notch B.
4. Pull out about 15 cm (6 inches) of thread and replace the cover plate.
5. To bring the bobbin thread up, hold the needle thread, turn the handwheel toward you one full turn until the take-up lever is at the top, and pull the needle thread to lift a loop of bobbin thread. Lay both threads about 15 cm back under the foot.

Top and bobbin tension

The HD3000 has a manual upper tension dial. Turn it to a lower number to loosen and a higher number to tighten, and set the number you want at the setting mark. On a straight seam the threads should lock between the layers of fabric. For zigzag, Janome wants the needle tension slightly weaker than for straight stitch, so the needle thread just shows on the underside.

Janome's book gives no bobbin tension adjustment. If you need lighter bobbin tension for free motion, Janome's answer is the low-tension holder above, not turning the screw on the standard holder.

The presser foot pressure dial sits on top: 3 for regular sewing, 2 for applique, 1 for chiffon, lace, organdy and very stretchy knits.

Cleaning the hook race

Janome's HD3000 book covers cleaning the hook race and changing the bulb. It gives no oiling points and no oiling schedule, so this page does not give any either. Internal lubrication is a job for a Janome dealer.

1. Unplug the machine. Remove the presser foot and the needle.
2. Remove the screw on the left side of the needle plate and lift the plate off.
3. Take out the bobbin, then lift out the bobbin holder.
4. Brush the bobbin holder with the lint brush. Clean the feed dogs, the hook race and the holder with the brush and a soft dry cloth.
5. Put the bobbin holder back with the triangle marks lined up, so the notch in the holder sits next to the stopper in the hook race. Insert the bobbin, then refit the needle plate, the needle and the foot.

The sewing light is a 15 watt bulb behind the face plate. Unplug first, then push and twist it left to remove, and push and twist right to fit the new one. Sewing Parts Online lists the bobbin case stopper, Janome 822011109, for the HD3000.

Troubleshooting by symptom

Leave these to a technician

Internal lubrication, timing, the motor, the foot control and the wiring. Janome's book asks you to unplug the machine whenever you remove covers or make adjustments, and to keep the ventilation openings and the foot control clear of lint.

Janome's manual and support pages

• Janome HD3000 instruction book (PDF, Janome)
• HD3000 feature sheet (PDF, Janome)
• Janome HD-3000 product page
• Janome bobbin holder guide (PDF)
• Janome support answers