The Janome Melody 41 (formerly Janome Milady 41) sewing machine stands out thanks to its excellent build quality, a good motor, just the right amount of functionality but nothing superfluous, a few stitches and an honest price. . It just needs 2-3 finishes to be perfect in its genre. It is aimed at an amateur public looking for a robust and reliable mechanical sewing machine as well as beginners with a minimum of ambition!
The Janome brand: a guarantee of quality
To date, Janome is the largest sewing machine manufacturer in the world. The brand is however relatively discreet in Europe (where we rather know Singer, Brother, Pfaff, etc.) and it is mainly in Asia and America that it achieves its turnover. And believe me, the Europeans are missing something!
Indeed, unlike other brands whose strategy is to saturate the market with a maximum of almost identical machines at the lowest cost, Janome relies on quality with diversified models and an excellent production chain. Its factories* are also regularly rewarded for their manufacturing quality and their human team management.
* Janome’s factories are located in Taiwan, Thailand and Japan, which is quite logical for a Japanese group. In addition because of globalization, almost all brands of sewing machines have moved their factories to Asia so beware of shortcuts like “it comes from Asia so the quality is bad”, this is clearly not the case here 😉.
And to prove to you that it has confidence in its products, the brand offers you a five-year warranty on the parts of all its machines, including of course the Janome Milady 41 and the Janome Melody 41.
A robust machine with a somewhat short performance
The Janome Milady/Melody 41 is well built with its 85 watt motor (15 of which are reserved for lighting), its cast aluminum frame and its small metal parts (spool holders, thread guides, winder bobbin, etc.).
In the end, it weighs almost 6 kg, which confirms the presence of a sturdy and durable frame and components, but above all stabilizes it during sewing. Thus the machine does not vibrate too much, it is relatively quiet (it remains a sewing machine) and it is pleasant to use.
Only downside: the Janome 41 is only equipped with 3 feed dogs. It’s little knowing that even a cheap Singer sewing machine offers 6 and that most machines have at least 5…
Among them, there are all kinds of utility stitches (straight stitch, zigzag, overlock, buttonhole, stretch, etc.) whose length, width and needle position can be manually determined.
Even if it is true that these adjustments are not essential for complete beginners, they quickly become very appreciable when you progress and for us it is a minimum for self-respecting amateurs. It is also for this reason that I do not recommend the Janome Facility 21, yet often compared to the Janome Melody / Milady 41.
More points is not necessarily useful for everyone, and for those who prefer to have the embarrassment of the choice to express their creativity same remark as before: it is necessary to consider an electronic model. For example, there is the comparably priced Brother FS-40 which offers 40 stitch programs and well over a hundred styles (I didn’t count).
A beautiful beast behind an old-fashioned look
This Janome is therefore of good quality and offers some nice elements, but for me this is not the impression that it gives.
Indeed its white-gray cover, its incandescent lamp with yellow light and the name “Milady 41” (or “Melody 41” on the more recent model) written in cursive letters give me an old impression. I find it a bit ugly and a shame knowing that Janome is a good modern brand.
Strengths
The Janome brand is a guarantee of quality.
A robust and stable machine.
All functions and accessories to get started and sew at home.
Weaknesses
Only three training gifs.
A disappointing look for a modern machine.
Target audience
We recommend the Janome Melody/Milady 41 to intermediate sewers looking for a good, simple but effective work tool, and to beginners wanting a serious machine that will accompany them in their development.
