At the end of every project I clean and oil my machine and replace the needle. With every bobbin change I also clean out any lint. If it's a big project, I'll oil it again somewhere in the middle and may change the needle. I'm a little picky I think, but my dealer is almost two hours away and a friend who has the same machine didn't do any routine maintenance and paid through the nose to get it back in shape. I also use a magnifying glass to see the needle tip and you can really see if the tip has rounded.

Years ago a repair man told me a sharp needle is the secret to a long life of a sewing machine. He's words proved correct - I've had my machine for 58 years - I use it almost every day. I change my needle and clean bobbin area first - before I begin to sew. On my embroidery machine, I change the needle every 3-4 hours of dense stitches even if the pattern isn't finished. Needles are super cheap compared to repair bills.

The companies who make needles would like us to change that often because they would sell more needles, right? Growing up, Mom sewed until the needle broke. I change needle once or twice a month and I sew every day.

When my stitches start to not look right or I hear the clicking sound.

I change my needles with every new project. I feel like the price of a needle isn't worth risking problems.

I change mine when its dull, broken or after a rather large quilt--my king-sized quilts!

when it breaks.

I think some shampoo and conditioner companies deliberately design their bottles to make it hard to get the last 1/4 of the product out. They round the caps so that you can't stand it upside down to let gravity pull the product towards the opening. I guess they figure you'll have to buy more sooner.

I always change my needle when starting a new project, or at least sewing on it for few days. The needle will let you know when it needs replacement also, for me it starts to skip stitches, or I can hear it hitting the fabric making pucker sound, or you have to keep re-threading.

i'm the worst here. after they break. i have so many, probably a gross, but it's a pain to stop and do it.