I have a Brother and a Bernina. I know the Brother manual says not to oil it but my dealer tells me it needs to be done. I use pipe cleaners to keep it clean and remove the plate to get to the lint and dust. I love both of these machines but use my Brother the most. It has more stitches and is so easy to use. I also have a Brother embroidery machine that I love and a brand new Brother serger I have not yet used.