ArchaicArcane

The thing that really gets me about some of the even expensive newer machines is all those pulse motors returning to zero" when you turn them on. I can handle the noise of them sewing, but the clicks and clunks when they start up.

Wow. I ducked the first time! LOL!

A lot of the troubleshooting stuff is similar with the computerized machines. Mechanically they're really similar, and timing is timing. It's once it starts to "flake out" that it gets harder - the computer stuff is often a voltage problem so it's not consistently a bad or a good, sometimes it's whatever it wants. At that point though, modules, boards or whatever are replaced not repaired. Of course the other thing is if it' computerized and worth the cost of replacing a board, it's probably still on warranty and in a shop with a technician who has the service manuals.

The other fun diagnostic thing is trying to figure out what's really wrong when someone tells you what's wrong with the machine.

purplefiend

I bought a machine early on in my collecting days, that only showed the back of the machine. When it arrived the tension assembly was missing. I've learned my lesson.

Sewnoma

I'm sure I'll be in the minority on this (especially in this part of the forum, lol) but I like all those buzzz-clunk start-up sounds! I associate those sounds with getting ready to spend some nice leisure time sewing. When I am using one of my back-up machines that is purely mechanical, I turn it on and then sit there waiting for the sounds for a bit before I remember they won't be happening. And that's all relatively new to me; I learned on a vintage machine, sewed on mechanical-only machines up until just 2 years ago. But now...those sounds tell me I'm entering my Happy Place.