Changing needles?? Schedule??
 

It occured to me that the only time that I change my needle other than when it breaks, is when the machine starts to make a clunking sound. Is it hard on the machine to not change it regularly after a certain amount of hours of sewing? Do all of you change your needles on a regular basis?

I try to stick with the recommended 8 hours of machine use between changes, but it's probably more than that. That would be a great add-on for machines...a timer that automatically clocks machine running time and buzzes at 8 hours while flashing a message on the display screen. A lot of quilters change needles at the beginning of each project, at the same time they clean out all the bobbin lint.

It's been suggested that you change the needle every time you start a new project. So, if you call a queen/King size quilt a project, you could probably do 2 smaller quilts before changing the needle. I don't always change my needle this often, but I did have a lot of needles breaking when I was using the Flynn frame ( I think it was loaded improperly)

I don't change needles til they break. Not too often. None of my machines are fussy with needles or threads.

I change the needle when I start a new project and when I finish it I change it again before I start quilting.
Debbie

I'm the one who doesn't seem to ever remember to change my needle... i used the original one in my most recent purchase for 22 quilt projects. i didn't have any issues - no barbs, no snags, no 'large' holes, nothing - didn't even 'think' about it until I was reading the owner's manual trying to find the correct foot for something!

I change mine at the end of each large project when I am cleaning my bobbin case, or after two small projects like baby quilts.

I don't change my needle unless it breaks, which is very seldom and that's usually due to the fact that I moved the needle and changed the needle plate and forgot to move it back, or I need a different size due to the fabric, but I will reuse the needle. I've never had any problems with clunking, snagging, etc.

I don't change my needle very often. I've never had a problem and I seldom break a needle. Sometimes I think about changing the needle, but forget by the next time I use the machine. Short attention span I guess. lol
Sue

Until I got my current machine, I almost never changed my needle. When I bought this machine, 13 years ago, I was told to change my needle every 8 hours. I change my needle with each new project. Like Ghostrider, I think an 8 hour timer on the machine would be a great idea. I do use lots of different needles for different kinds of sewing.

I'm a frequent needle changer, too. I put in a new one for every project and if it's a larger quilt I change again before I start the quilting. I figure it's cheap enough to do that without damaging my budget and ... it can't hurt! I started this when I was having FMQ troubles- one of the variables I was trying to adjust. I hope I've worked those out, but I still change frequently.

chaning machine needles
 

I change my needle whenever someone on here starts a thread like this, Thank You.

I think changing needles for each project matters. I recently meched a Singer 500 and, with the needle that was in it when it came to me, it skipped stitches, had an uneven tension, and the stitches just didn't look as good as I thought. It sounded clunky. I installed a new size 90 needle and all those problems cleared right up.

I change needles with each project or every 8 hours of sewing. My machine works best with a good needle. I also oil each time I start a new project - and clean every couple of hours.

I change needles when I hear that "clunking" sound, that actually means your needle point is dull and is having to "punch" through the fabric. Some of my needles last for 2-4 quilts, others barely make it through one. I just wait till I hear it punching through the fabric and change.

I clean the bobbin area when I change my bobbins. It gets very messy!

I can only remember to change mine when I hear the "popping" sound as I sew as it punches through the fabric! I don't really notice any difference other than that sound, though. I figure on some small level it works the machine harder to have a dull needle so maybe by changing the needle promptly we get a little more longevity out of our darlings(??)

When I first started quilting, I did not sew every day, or even every week. It was a once in a while thing. The needle lasted a long time. That was my old Singer. My new Brother (3 yrs old in July) I like to take better care and change it when it starts to seem to be straining.

I only change my needle when I detect a problem with the current one. Sometimes this can be quite frequent (if I've stitched over too many pins or if I've pulled it out of alignment somehow) and other times it may be several months.

I bought my needles in bulk - there are 100 in the box - with a coupon sale at my LQS. That way the cost per needle was so low I change my needles with each new quilt.