I only take my Janome in when I am having trouble with it. I try to avoid the cost if I can.

I am pretty reluctant to take mine in. I read where people get them worked on repeatedly, or get the same part replaced multiple times, and it makes me uneasy that the machine is getting serviced incorrectly or they are replacing parts that are not actually bad because they don't really know what is going wrong. Or parts are getting damaged with static electricity or a bump of the elbow or something like that when the tech is in there working. So I just take care of them at home for the most part. I guess we all have to choose what feels like less risk over the long run.

I try to get my machines in every year whether they need it or not...they always come back in much nicer running condition...more buttery feel, smoother. But in reality I generally only get organized enough every two to three years, barring any problems. I dust out the bobbin area frequently.

I am fortunate that I have an excellent local and independent machine tech, Eurotech in Vancouver, BC. If you ask around local guilds you can usually find who is the best tech for your brand of machine!

I've taken my Singer 403A in once since I bought it used, in 1972. I only took it in, because I thought that I was supposed to. The repair man showed me a couple of easy things to do to keep it running smoothly and said that I really don't ever have to bring it in again....oh...and to never sell it and I never did. I did buy another identical machine a couple of years ago, which was hardly used, so I put my older one away for awhile to give it a rest. They are both amazing machines.

Not nearly enough. I need to do it, but I hate to be without my machine.

I use my machine a lot and I clean the bobbin area after each project. I usually oil my machine after 100 hours of use or for me about every 8 weeks. I take my machine to the repair shop when it quits working and I have it serviced at that time as well. My 1955 Singer never goes to the shop as I can work on it myself since it has no electronic parts.