97.5 The Janome 4120QDC sewing machine is good for quilting, garments & alterations, home décor, and all sorts of projects both small and large. It has 120 stitches, a built-in alphabet, and a very popular thread cutting button.  It is also remarkably easy to use.  In addition, the 4120QDC comes with a host of accessories as well as an extension table, a foot control and a hard cover.  Owner ratings are excellent and almost all people are very pleased with their purchase, describing the machine as a quality product that is worth the price.  Some feel it is a bit on the heavy side however.

Consumer Ratings
A total of 32 owner comments and ratings were found online at reputable retail outlets.  We’ve recorded the ratings in the table below and calculated a weighted average to get a sewing machine score of 97.5 out of 100 (or about 4.9 stars out of 5).  This is an extremely high rating and places the Janome 4120QDC in the top 10 ranked Janome Sewing Machines we’ve investigated (you can view all of our Janome Sewing Machine Reviews if you like).

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon.com	4.8 stars out of 5	20
Amazon.ca	5 stars out of 5	8
Sewing Machines Plus	5 stars out of 5	4

 

What Are Owners Saying?
Owner comments have revealed both likes and dislikes for the 4120QDC.  However an overwhelming number of comments related to this machine are positive so there are few dislikes.

PROS
- Good machine for the price
- Creates quality stitches
- Popular thread cutting feature
- Good, descriptive owner’s manual
- Easy to use
- Comes with lots of accessories
- Great for quilting
- Quiet operation

CONS
- Some folks find it a bit heavy

Probably the most popular feature on this sewing machine is the thread cutter button.  This button can cut both the top and bottom thread and owners can’t say enough about how useful they find the feature. 

There are also several comments highlighting the stitch quality of the 4120QDC.  Folks say the machine sews very smoothly and that it consistently produces good-looking stitches.
 
There are many comments about the machine being good bang for your buck, great value, worth the money, a quality product, etc.  As a matter of fact, when we looked at this machine on Janome.com we noted that the manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $1199.  Granted that the MSRP is usually high, but this machine does seem to be heavily discounted these days ($600 - $700).  We’ve also seen some packages (sometimes referred to as the Janome 4120QDC-B) which come with a bonus quilt kit.  You can see one such package here on Amazon.

People are pleased that the machine has a bright LED light that illuminates the sewing space.  Quite a few sewing machines have poor lighting and result in folks having to use additional lighting – a lamp or even specialized stick-on sewing machine lighting.

Many people write that this sewing machine is easy to use and that is has intuitive controls.  This is despite the unit having so many features.  It is a sign that this may be a good machine to “grow into”, although many of the bells and whistles may not be used by beginners.

Others like the start/stop button, the hard cover, the detailed owner’s manual (Janome always seems to produce good owner’s manuals), and some also report that the 4120QDC is great for quilting.  In addition, folks have highlighted that the instructional videos on the included DVD really help to get one up and sewing quickly.

With respect to sewing machine weight, some folks are comfortable with it while others are not.  This is perhaps more of a personal preference than anything.  Some people like to take this machine to classes and feel it is fairly lightweight.  Others report that it is too heavy.  We discuss the weight later in the article.

Key Specifications
- 120 stitches
- 7 buttonholes
- LCD control panel with on-screen stitch editing
- Stitch pattern memory
- Built-in alphabet (American, European and Cyrillic fonts)
- Max stitch width = 7mm
- Max stitch length = 5mm
- Automatic needle threader
- 15 needle positions
- Jam proof, top-loading bobbin
- Auto declutch bobbin winder
- Mirror stitching
- Thread cutter button
- Reverse stitch button
- Lock stitch button
- Needle up/down button
- Start/stop button
- Max speed = 820 stitches per minute
- Manual thread tension dial
- Extension table
- Sewing speed slider
- Twin needle capable
- Snap-on presser feet
- Presser foot pressure adjustment
- Extra high presser foot lift
- 7-piece feed dog
- Drop feed capable
- Free arm

Stitches
Following is the stitch chart:

NOTE: Some folks may also be interested to know that the work space width is 6.8 inches. 

Sewing Machine Weight
The Janome 4120QDC weighs in at 14.3 lbs.  In our opinion this is neither a lightweight machine nor a heavy machine.  We have a list of some of the best lightweight sewing machines and most of these are 11 - 12 lbs or so.  But there are also quite a few sewing machines (including those from Janome) that are well over 15 lbs.

Accessories
Many accessories are provided with the 4120QDC and included are a host of presser feet:
- blind hem foot
- buttonhole foot
- overedge foot
- zig-zag foot
- zipper foot
- sliding buttonhole foot
- satin stitch foot

In addition, the sewing machine comes with a needle set, both large and small spool holders, bobbins, a screwdriver, a lint brush, a seam ripper, and an extra spool pin.  An accessory drawer built into the sewing machine provides storage.  There is also an instructional video DVD, a stitch chart, a sewing machine manual, a foot control, an extension table, a power cable, and a hard cover.

Warranty
The warranty for this machine is as follows:
- 25 years on mechanical parts
- 2 years on electrical parts
- 1 year parts and labor

Sewing Machine Manual
The manual for the 4120qdc is very comprehensive.  It comes with many pictures/graphics and the instructions are clear.  It covers such areas as: Names of Parts, Getting Ready to Sew, Basic Sewing, Decorative Stitching, Programming Patterns & Letters, and Machine Care (maintenance, problems, troubleshooting, etc.).  You can view a copy of the manual here:  Janome 4120QDC Sewing Machine Manual