Janome My Excel 3018 (MW18) Questions & Answers

Hi Juanita, you do not use the slider, you use smaller knob on the right side of machine to changes the stitches, it will show you on the front of your machine on the blue display that has stitches shown on it, the stitch you have chosen shows red below the stitch. Hope it helps.

Thank you. Now, I can’t remember how to back stitch. Sorry can’t find my manual

Give it a good clean, it may need an oil, maybe do some straight stitching with foot down on pedal as fast as possible, try some of the fancy stitches then reverse button, change the sewing foot, if that doesn't help it must be time for a service.

Thank you for your reply? Yes I guess it does need a service after not being used for quite a long time and I will certainly try what you have suggested. X

deb, I have sewn leather, vinyl and canvas on my excel. just make sure you use a jeans or leather needle (and change it back when finished as tooooooo thick for normal fabric)

Thank you so much for that.Maur.

Sibat, at the back of the sewing arm and directly behind the feed teeth there is a slide, slide it and the feed teeth will drop.

if the fabric where the seam is is quiet thick then use a jeans needle and this machine should have no problem doing a buttonhole - just be aware that the buttonhole stitch on this machine is not a close one but rather open. sometimes you need to do a button hole by hand.

I just got one of these great old machines today and was shown how to do this by the seller, you simply just turn the smaller knob thing on the right side of the machine and that should select stitch type ;-)

simply just turn the smaller knob on the right side of the machine and that should Scroll though your stitch selection.

Happy sewing ;)

Yes. Janome has confirmed this.

Janome says it’s been out for 20 years. Making it around 1997-1998. They have only slightly improved the model, but not so you would have noticed.

I know its a long time ago when you posted this but i just went into our local sewing shop and took my janome as I couldn't undo the screw on the needle plate to defluff it. I told them a good friend of mine gave it to me as she no longer used it and they said its a good machine and they made them 30 years ago and are still making them and they are exactly the same ! I love my janome My Excel !

Thanks so much for that info. Really appreciate it. I'm enjoying mine and pleased to hear they're still manufacturing them.

Hi,
It could be a number of things. Taking the machine to a sewing machine service centre would be great. They usually have one at every sewing centre. Our local one has a guy who picks up several machines once a week and drops them back off in a few days. They are brilliant at fixing things and usually cost $50-$100 but well worth it.
To me it sounds like the feed dogs (the two parallel metal ridged things that feed the material into the machine when sewing) has got jammed up with cotton, fluff, or dust. This does happens sometimes and can be cleared usually. But if your not sure let the expert do it. Plus they service them at the same time, which gives your machine a new lease on life.

Hi Robyn; you can drop the feed dogs using the switch on the back of the machine, just behind the needle plate.