k9dancer

Even machines that don't get used will benefit from an annual service. In unused machines, sometimes the oil will become gummy and can freeze up a perfectly good machine.

mltquilt

I have Bernina machines and try to get them in a least once a year.

mltquilt

donnataylorsmith

Once a year, never skip.

kathyd

I hate to be without mine. Last year when I took it in it was gone for a month (the repair guy went on vacation and had to order a part!). The good thing was I did get a quilt hand quilted in that time.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
I do have 3 older machines (both my grandma's and my mom's) that I should have checked out so I can use them as well or as backups!

Cherylsea

I work very part-time for a Viking dealer. When our tech dismantles a machine we are continually amazed at how much lint and crap collects! You can keep your machine clean (I clean mine with every bobbin change) but there is stuff that you can't get to and it can compact enough to the point that your machine won't sew or will catch on fire!

feline fanatic

I have a Bernina and should do it annually but it seems I only get it in every 3 years or so. :shock: I have been fortunate that I have suffered no ill effects of my infrequency and have never had the dealer say anything to me that he found out of the ordinary or that it was overly crammed full of lint anywhere. I clean and oil the bobbin race area every 3 bobbins. Thankfully I just got my baby back from servicing so I am good to go until next summer.

ETA: It also makes a difference how much the machine is used. I do not sew daily and since getting my LA I do very little machine quilting any more on mine. I am sporadic with my peicing and really have not had a chance to do very much since getting my LA.

qbquilts

I take mine in once or twice a year, usually just before a retreat. I used to take it to the local Viking place, but most recently I took it to my favorite quilt store, which is a Bernina dealer, but services most brands of machines. The good thing about them is that the repair guy works out of the shop there and is in every day. I dropped my machine off at lunch and they called before 5 to tell me it was done! The Viking place is essentially a drop off location for a traveling repair man and it takes a week or more to get back home :-(.

So I'm probably going to skip the Viking place and take it to my fav. quilt store from now on. My machine is a mid-80's Viking Husqvarna 990 SLE.

Carron

Catch on fire... that is scarry

TonnieLoree

Ditto. Same goes for my HQ/V

Jim's Gem

On my older Pfaff, I went probably 10 years without having it services. I would clean out the bobbin area when needed and such but at one time I was having trouble with the throat plate not sitting correctly. I pulled it off (which I had never done) and I had a really thick wad of felt, basically lint, that was lifting up the throat plate. Now that I am sewing more and I have a newer Bernina, I pick up that puppy every couple of bobbins and clean all the lint out from it.

At $100 a pop to have the machine even looked at, I have been taking it in, but may stretch the time a little