I have a Baby Lock Crown Jewel and went to the 4 day class in St. Louis put on by Baby Lock. We were told to clean out the lint and oil the race after every other bobbin while quilting and to clean and oil before using if it has been awhile. The machine has a trip counter which keeps track of the number of stitches to let you know when it needs to be serviced. I have had it a year and a half and have not yet had it serviced. I think they said that if you use it alot, you may need to have it serviced yearly. The Crown Jewel is the same machine as the HQ Avante.