First Impressions of the HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle Embroidery Machine [New Machine! ]

Hello embroidery enthusiasts! I am really excited to share this post today. I have been thinking about purchasing a multi-needle embroidery machine for my home studio for about a year, and I finally took the plunge. My HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle embroidery machine was delivered yesterday, and I could not be happier with it so far. In this post, I am going to give you my initial thoughts on the HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle embroidery machine. I will be making dedicated posts throughout this year, keeping you updated on my thoughts. So let's dive in to the review.

The HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle embroidery machine is a single head, multi-needle embroidery machine with seven needles. I have sewn on a twelve needle ZSK Sprint 6 for over ten years, and I have been using my Brother PE535 to sew my digitizing samples. The PE535 has been discontinued, but is still available on Amazon for $459. I like to use a single-needle to sew my digitizing samples, as many of my customers are sewing on single-needle machines, and want to make sure that my designs sew nicely for both single-needle and multi-needle embroidery machines. But, as I expand my business, I wanted to add a multi-needle to the family.

Where I Purchased My HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle Embroidery Machine

I purchased my HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle embroidery machine from Ken's Sewing Center in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. I worked with Ray in sales. He was really helpful in determining which multi-needle embroidery machine was going to be the best fit for my business. Since I am not local to their store, Ray spent a great deal of time answering questions for me, which was really helpful.

Why I Chose the HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle Embroidery Machine

I chose the HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle embroidery machine for several reasons. After having used a twelve-needle machine for over ten years while sewing for local boutiques, I know that I rarely use all twelve needles in a single design. Most designs use between one and five colors, occasionally more. Seven needles allow me to keep frequently used colors like black and white on the machine at all times, while still having five more needles to switch out as needed. I was also considering the Brother PR680W six-needle machine, but went with the Happy for three reasons. 1)The Happy has a 12in x 12in sewing field on it's large hoop. The Brother only has a 12in x 8in sewing field. 2) The additional needle. This machine has seven, the Brother only has six. 3) Ray at Ken's Sewing Center told me that the Happy has better capabilities for sewing hats. I have a lot of experience sewing hats, and as I expend my business, this is important to me. I also spent a lot of time in machine embroidery communities on Reddit and FB, asking user opinions. In the commercial embroidery world, HappyJapan was the clear favorite. The Brother PR680W has a LOT of extras outside of what is already included from Brother when purchasing from Ken's, such as a cap system, a set of magnetic hoops, a machine stand, AND a set of Durkee EZFrames. The Happy comes with only the a four-piece set of Durkee EZFrames. Ultimately, the three reasons listed above are more important to me, and I chose to go with the Happy. HappyJapan embroidery machines are manufactured in Japan.

Ordering the HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle Embroidery Machine

I placed the order for my machine on Black Friday and it arrived the following Wednesday via FedEx. I was told it would arrive in a week, so I was pleasantly surprised that it arrived so soon. Ken's website states that this machine is a "light" 88 pounds. The FedEx delivery person was able to unload the box and bring it into the entryway of our home on his own using a dolly. The machine comes mostly assembled. The thread rack cannot be shipped attached and assembled, so there is some minor assembly required. I had planned to unpack the box in the entryway, then carry the pieces separately, since my studio is on the third floor of our home. Here is a picture of the machine inside the box after removing the styrofoam packing and additional parts:

Getting this machine to the third floor was an endeavor. The machine is awkward to carry, since there are only a few places that can bear being carried. You have to be extremely careful with the touch screen panel and the head of the machine with the needles and tension knobs. Ultimately, we ended up sitting the machine in a large plastic tub and "sledding" it up the stairs. I did this with my almost-16-year-old son, and would not have been successful without positive vibes.

The HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle Embroidery Machine In My Studio

I purchased this machine without ever having seen it in person. I had the dimensions and I measured my tables carefully, so I knew it would fit on the table with room for hooping. Here are pictures of the machine sitting on my sewing table.

Minor Assembly

After placing the machine on my sewing table, my daughter and I completed the assembly of the thread rack, installation of the carriage, and installation of the frame base in about one hour. There are plenty of helpful setup videos on YouTube from HappyJapan USA, Ken's Sewing Center, and Texmac HappyJapan Embroidery Machines. The user manual is available in PDF format, which I also used, but the videos are extremely helpful and I will keep referring back to them as I get to know the machine.

Getting Ready To Sew

Next it was time to turn on the machine, but first, I threaded all seven needles. Threading the Happy is much easier than threading the ZSK, and I really appreciate the simplicity. After turning on the machine, I set the date and time on the machine calendar. You should always take this step first, because the machine will recommend service when needed based on how long the machine has been in use. After setting the date and time, I did a little exploring on the touch screen panel. The HappyJapan user interface is completely new to me, so it will be a while before I am completely comfortable. However, I did find the interface to be very user-friendly on the first try.

Hooping My First Design

The machine comes standard with two frames, a 12.5in x 12.5in large hoop for large designs and a 5.5in hoop that is suitable for most designs, including chest logos, monograms, names, napkins, etc. I anticipate using this frame a lot. I have actually never used anything but MightyHoops on a multi-needle embroidery machine, so I was interested to see how the standard hoop would perform, and I was actually surprised how easy it was to use. I do plan on investing in some MightyHoops for this machine in the future, because they are known to be the "Cadillac" of hoops in the embroidery industry and they offer many useful sizes and shapes for very specific jobs. I will probably purchase the 5in x 10in MightyHoop, which I love using for towels and large names. I can use the 12.5in x 12.5in hoop that comes with the machine, but the MightyHoop is MUCH stronger for holding heaving items such as towels, there is ZERO fabric shifting, and much less material waste. I am going to be sewing one of my 4in designs, so I hooped a sheet of tear-away and a square of white quilting cotton with the 5.5in round hoop, and I was ready to sew. Here is a picture of the fabric and tear-away stabilizer hooped in the 5.5in hoop:

Sewing My First Design

Pink Champagne Embroidery Design

I chose my Pink Champagne Embroidery Design for inaugural stitch-out. This is one of my newest designs, and one of my favorites, so I was excited to see how it would stitch on the Happy...and it did not disappoint! I loaded my design via USB and followed a video tutorial on how to setup the design, select my hoop in the machine, assign needles to the color pattern, and trace my design. This machine has a touchscreen panel that is incredibly user-friendly. The large, vibrant screen makes it easy to navigate through settings, designs, and customizations. The machine also has a laser position marker, which I love. Tracing the design feels much safer. Here is a video of the machine tracing my design:

Once the design was setup and traced, I pressed go and I was off and sewing. This machine has the capability to sew up to 1000 stitches per minute. I started stitching this design at 700 stitches per minute and once I saw how smoothly it was sewing, I bumped the speed up to 800 stitches per minute. In just a few minutes, my Pink Champagne Embroidery Design came to life. Here is a video of the design stitching:

Here is a picture of the completed design:

And there you have it. My first impressions of the HappyJapan Journey HCH-701 Multi-Needle embroidery machine. I will be posting updates and reviews of this machine as I continue to learn and experiment with its features. Overall, I am really happy with the machine. The stitch quality is fantastic, it is fairly quiet, and the interface seems to be quite user-friendly!

I can't wait to share more projects with you on this new machine.

Happy stitching!

Beth