Brother Pacesetter breaks thread while embroidering
 

Help…for my wife

She has a Brother Pacesetter PC-8500D (Disney). I bought it new from a person that had it stored for a long time and never used. When we got it there were some jamming issues…so seems it needed some oil or something…so we had it serviced. So we took it to a shop that works on those machines and paid $250 full service… I cannot recall what all was serviced I know alignment was part of it…but I was like, what when I got the bill!

Issue: When she goes to embroider on the machine the thread continues to break. It can break on thin fabric when she is just testing… BUT, does not break on sewing but she says its louder than it use to be

She is using the correct bobbins
Using an embroidering thread by Coats
Needle status I do not know to report now
She said played with the tensioner setting it one number under current setting
Since serviced, maybe about 5-10 hrs. on the machine…that’s spread-out over time
Again, does not break on sewing

Help, I just refuse to service this machine again with very little usage not to add what I paid for it having been never used. I need to see some profit from this Brother.

Any advice…??

What are we doing wrong? Is it just Brother products?

You need to take it back to the shop that serviced it. They should have a warranty on their service. Unless they replaced parts, that service fee was unusually high.

I agree. Work like that is warrantied for 60 or 90 days. Take it back to the shop and demonstrate for them what is happening.

My bet is that the bobbin tension is set too high. A lot of people are afraid of adjusting bobbin tension but it's really easy if you simply know what to do. Once bobbin tension is set correctly, you can adjust top tension. Again, my bet is that the service person set the bobbin tension for straight sewing and never bothered to test the machine for embroidery.

If you are past the warranty date on the service, try adjusting the bobbin and top tensions yourself. I'm not familiar with your machine, but there are a limited number of bobbin types. Yours might be one of these:
http://welcome.solutions.brother.com...hf_inov700eeuk

https://www.embroideryaffair.com/mac...-tension-blog/

http://www.superiorthreads.com/educa...on-is-adjusted

The Pacesetter manual may help too:
http://homeappliance.manualsonline.c...xl-721-5116286

Finally, is your wife absolutely sure she is threading both the bobbin and top correctly? Plus, check both bobbin case and throat area of the machine for burrs. Even a small burr will cause thread to break. It's easy to sand off a burr using jewelry type sandpaper (not regular sandpaper). Also, try using a different brand of embroidery thread. Some machines are particular about which thread is used.

Edit: Next time determine cost of service before leaving your machine! And specify that they need to call if they find anything that would cost more than what is quoted, again before they do the fix.

Use a better thread, use a topstitch needle which has a longer eye. Sad to say but not all needles are perfect. I can put a new one in and it acts up. Put in another one and no problem. I started out with coats and clark and didnt like the coverage. Ive switched to Robison Anton and Isacord. I get it from discountembroiderysupply.com. Good prices and no shipping. Great service. My absolute favorite is Magnifico by Superior. I have only bought a few because their cones are so big. Another thing, do you realize that the bobbin thread ideally needs to be a thinner thread than the top thread. #40 for the top and #60 for the bobbin. Reduces bulk. In fact I think Brother suggests something even thinner for the bobbin. As you probably have found out, this is a super expensive hobby!

The first thing I would look at is the needle. Yes you can use a topstitch needle or Schmetz Embroidery needles. Is the needle in correctly. The FLAT part of the needle goes to the back of the machine. I have not had problems using C&C embroidery thread but some people do. Are you using the correct stablizer for the project? If the stitching is fairly dense you need heavy stablilizer or two layers of stabilizer. Are you using the correct hopping foot for embroidery? Tension for upper thread should be around 2 or 3. The bobbin thread should be THIN thread. Bobbin thread is highly recommended, but if you cannot find that you can use MAXILOCK serger thread. It may also help to heavily starch the fabric before embroidery.
Keep us posted on your progress

Also check for burrs on the plate. It doesn't take much for the thread to start to shred and break-the machines stitch at a high speed and the thread can be shredded before you catch it. check tis out for other fixes:
http://www.brother-usa.com/IndustSew...c#.UZglQUrGg7w

Is she using a thread net on the thread spool? The pacesetter embroidery machines seem to behave better if they have a net on them. Is the thread breaking on the top or the bottom of the work? My 6500 has a nasty habit of breaking on the bottom. If there is the slightest bit of thread in the thread cutting mechanism it will cause all manner of grief. The fix is to remove the needle plate and clean it out.
1: Remove the needle from the machine.
2: Remove the needle plate.
3: Turn the machine on and press button to cut the thread. Watch the mechanism. If you miss it, press the button again.
4: Make sure there is no thread between the upper and lower blade. If there is, GENTLY lift the upper blade just enough to brush the thread out of the way, use a needle or a pair of tweezers to move the thread.
5: Since you have the needle plate off clean out the lint in and around the bobbin area.
6: Reassemble the machine until the next time.

Also slowing down the machine helps