Originally Posted by
VaQuiltgal
I've always left my machine on while ironing, cutting, etc. Never had a bulb burn out in all my years of sewing. When I leave the room I turn machine off and unplug from power strip so there's no chance of power surges hurting my machine.
This is what I do, too. The machine that is computerized has instructions in the manual that state to unplug when not in use. Just turning it off wouldn't be enough, and I don't trust surge protectors. I also unplug it when there's any chance of lightening, even if I want to sew. I already had the main circuit board fail when the machine was only a few months old (not because of lightening, but for unknown reasons). Replacing it would have cost more than the price I paid for the machine, but luckily it was covered under the warranty at the time. Now I'm walking on eggs around that machine.
I have replaced light bulbs on machines that were 40 years old or more. I would not be willing to bet that newer light bulbs will last as long as that, though. I read somewhere that turning bulbs off and on frequently is actually harder on them than leaving them on continuously. If I am in the same room with the machine I will leave it on while ironing or whatever - as long as there's no threat of thunderstorms. I always unplug when I leave the room to do other things.