Is having yearly maintenance (tune-up, lube, and cleaning) really necessary?????

Only if you want to keep your machine running at tip top capacity.

Ditto

It depends ...

I used to bring my Husqvarna in once a year like clockwork. After the 3nd time my dealer asked me "why"? The first time he understood - the first "tune up" was free with the purchase. The second time he just did it. When I came back the third time he flat out told me it didn't need it after he opened it up. Not only did I not use it enough during the course of a year, coupled with the fact that I am a FREAK about keeping my machine cleaned, and he said the Husky's don't need maintenance as frequently as other machines.

I've also got a Janome 6600 which I use more often than the Husky, but I'm still freakish about cleaning it. Had it about a year now and I'll bring it in when I'm done with my current project for a once over and a blessing. I'll ask them at that time if they thought it needed it and if not, I may stretch it to 18 or 24 months until it's next visit (given the same amount of usage).

I know I don't put in as many hours on my machines as some of the ladies here on the board. I go days, sometimes even weeks, without even turning my machine on. And as I said ... I'm a freak about cleaning the suckers.

So ... it depends :)

I try to do it yearly on the machine that I mainly use, but it may not happen this year, because I don't know if I'll be going down to Fresno or not this year. I don't know anyone in this general area and I trust him, have been going to him for many years.

I have my Bernina serviced every July (birthday month!) - kind of like a mamogram; not easy to go through but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

I agree that your machine may not need to be serviced every year if you do not use them heavily, but if you do it is a good idea. I have a machine that tells me when it needs maintenance. It goes by how many stitches it sews, so it may need maintenance more often. I have had it over 2 years and just got first one, but I did not use it much the first year as I was living in a 5th wheel and did not have room to set it up, now it gets used a lot.

It is probably a good idea. I have gone about 18 months between servicing and haven't had any trouble. I asked the guy if the machine needed it and he said, oh it was probably time but I have seen a lot worse!

It depends on how good your are at maintaining your machine. I have not had my Viking Rose in for over 14 yrs. & it is doing just fine. I have had some horror stories about machines taken in for service & then getting them back with problems. I no longer have a Viking dealeer in my area and I am reluctant to ship it anywhere unless it truely is not working properly. Some people are not good at keeping their machine clean of lint, etc. I taught sewing in a sew & vac shop in the late 1990's & could not believe the hair, string, etc. on the rollers of vacumn cleaners brought in.

For me, it depends on how much I have been sewing.

There have been some lengthy times - up to 6 months and more - where I couldn't sew. Then there have been times I think the sewing machine and I are one entity and wonder I don't sew in my sleep.

I do my own oiling and basic cleaning. I do take my machine in on what I feel is an equivalent to 1 year of use.

ali