97.1 The Janome Sewist 725S is a mechanical sewing machine and it is rather “bare bones”. It includes the essentials, but there are not a lot of fancy features. As such, many owners report that it is simple, very easy to use, and a great fit for beginners. The unit is also fairly quiet and it sews smoothly. The manual is easy to follow, with well written content and good illustrations. Despite the simplicity of the 725S, you will get a needle threader (one hand), 23 built-in stitches, a one-step buttonhole, a reverse sewing lever, and a host of accessories.
Consumer Ratings
A number of owner ratings were found at several quality retail outlets online. These can be seen in the table below. A weighted average was applied to the figures, generating an overall score of 97.1 out of 100. This is an excellent score and places the 725S in our list of top rated Janome sewing machines (see list at top of Janome Sewing Machine Reviews page). You can compare this score to the scores of other sewing machines in our Sewing Machine Ratings table.
It is worth highlighting that we have noticed owners tend to rate a product based on “value for money”. So an inexpensive machine could garner a higher score than a much more expensive machine and actually not truly be a better machine, but rather considered better “bang for your buck”. We are not saying that is what is happening here but it is something to consider when looking at owner ratings and comparing products.
| Source | Consumer Rating | #Ratings |
| Amazon.ca | 4.9 stars out of 5 | 26 |
| Amazon.com | 4.8 stars out of 5 | 16 |
| Sewing Machines Plus | 4.7 stars out of 5 | 3 |
| SewVacDirect | 5 stars out of 5 | 1 |
Pros & Cons
A thorough analysis of owner reviews and comments has provided the following 725S pros and cons.
PROS
- Easy to setup and operate
- Clear, well-written manual
- Fairly quiet
- Feels stable and well-made
- Not too heavy
- Sews smoothly
- Needle threader is helpful
CONS
- Limited number of stitches
- Hard case has no bottom
- Few features
What Are Owners Saying?
The comments and ratings for the 725S are generally very good. It is hard to find “cons”. The most frequent “pro” comments relate to how easy the unit is to setup and operate. Many owners report that the simplicity of the 725S makes it a great machine for beginners. Owners praise the unit’s ease of operation, ease of threading, ease of loading the bobbin, ease of winding the bobbin, ease of setup, ease of changing presser feet, etc.
Another common “pro” is the clear and concise sewing machine manual. People feel that it is well written and that it has plenty of good illustrations. This is no small thing as we’ve seen some fairly poor instruction manuals in the past and they can lead to frustration.
Folks feel that the 725S is a reasonable weight. It is light enough to carry but it is heavy enough that it doesn’t move around when you are sewing. Owners also report that the 725S sews smoothly and feels well-made and stable. In addition, it is said to be fairly quiet.
Most people really like the needle threader stating that it works well and makes threading the needle much easier. There are a few comments indicating that the needle threader can be frustrating to work with, however the majority of comments are positive.
As mentioned, there is little negative written about the 725S but some folks wish the hard case was something you could place the sewing machine entirely inside. The hard case has no bottom and is really more of a hard “cover” (although there is a hole for the handle on the top).
Perhaps both a pro and a con, the unit has limited features and limited stitches. This is a pro in the sense that it ensures the unit is simple and easy to use, but it is con in that one may find there is a feature or stitch that is not available.
For the most part, owners report that this machine delivers “value for money”. You can see pricing for the Janome Sewist 725S on Amazon.
Other Low-Cost Janome Sewing Machines
If you are interested in other low-cost Janome sewing machines (low-cost being relative to other Janome units), you may want to check out the choices below. Like the 725S they are all getting positive reviews and ratings and won’t break the bank. But be sure they have the features that you want/need.
Key 725S Specifications
- 23 built-in stitches
- 1 one-step buttonhole
- Stitch selection dial
- Max stitch length = 4mm
- Max stitch width = 5mm
- Built-in needle threader
- Manual thread tension control
- Foot pressure adjustment dial
- Extra-high presser foot lifter
- Drop feed capable
- Snap-on presser feet
- 4-piece feed dog
- Free arm
- Printed needle plate markings
- Top loading full rotary hook bobbin
- Auto declutch bobbin winder
- LED lighting for sewing area
- Reverse sewing lever
- Twin needle capable
- Max sewing speed = 820 stitches per minute
What You Won’t Get
This is a simple mechanical machine so there may be a few features that you want that are not provided. Some features you will not find include:
- Needle up/down
- Locking stitch button
- Twin needle guard
- Knee lift
- Extension table
Other Features & Characteristics
The Janome 725S is made in Taiwan and it has a die-cast aluminum frame. It weighs 14.8 lbs - not too heavy and not too light. It also sports a built-in carry handle on the top.
The hard case is more of a hard cover. It is something you can place over the machine but it has no bottom, although it does have an opening on the top so you can access the carry handle (note that dust can enter through the carry handle opening so it only goes so far in terms of a dust cover).
The unit is NOT dual voltage (80v to 240v) so it will not operate in countries with different voltage requirements. Also, it has a work space area of 6.7 inches x 4.3 inches.
Stitch Chart
Following is a chart showing the stitches available on the 725S.
Accessories
The sewing machine comes with a host of accessories including a number of presser feet: zigzag foot, automatic buttonhole foot, zipper foot, overlock foot, and blind hem foot. There are also three plastic bobbins, a small spool holder, a large spool holder, an extra spool pin, a needle set, a quilting guide bar, a foot control, an operating manual, and a hard cover.
An accessory drawer is built into the sewing machine and it will hold many of the accessories.
Warranty
The Janome Sewist 725S carries a 25/5/1 warranty which breaks down as follows:
25-years on defective materials and/or workmanship
5-years on electrical components
1-year on labor
Sewing Machine Manual
At almost 50 pages this is a lengthy manual for such a basic machine. It covers the essential parts of the sewing machine, setup and getting ready to sew, basic sewing, utility stitches, decorative stitches, care & maintenance, and troubleshooting. It is well organized and clear and covers pretty much anything you need to know. You can see a copy of the manual here: Janome Sewist 725S Manual
Hello! My name is Alison and I started Sewing Machine Ratings over 10 years ago. Since then I’ve reviewed scores of sewing machines. Sewing has been a hobby for me since I was a young and I love to make my own clothing.