I'm a Bernina sewing machine tech. I tell people if you sew every day, get your machine serviced at least every year. But never go more than 5 years without a service.

The one thing that can damage a machine is to run over those big "quilting pins." Throw those big quilting pins away! If you use patchwork, or extra fine glass head pins, you lower the risk by about 75%.

On your 380, If you keep the bobbin area clean, that is the most important part. This should be done about every 3 hours of actual sewing time or about every project. Remove the hook, and needle plate, and sweep all the lint out with your brush. Make sure there's nothing stuck in the race (which is the ledge the hook sits on). Put a drop of oil on the race, and put it back together.

You can also remove the take-up area cover, and make sure there aren't any threads caught in the take-up lever. You have an "L" shaped wrench in your accessories, that you can use to remove the screw on the left side of the machine. Lift the cover up before you twist it out. The plastic is very flexible. Oil at every joint in the take-up, and way back inside, there's a big round piece of metal, called the "pitman." It's important to oil the shaft behind the pitman. Turn the handwheel until you see the cut out piece on the pitman, then reach your oil back in there.

If the timing is off, the bobbin thread won't get picked-up to form the stitch. The first thing to do when this happens it to put a new needle in and make sure it's all the way up.

Always use a good quality thread like Guterman or Metler.

If there are tension problems, re-thread top and bobbin. Then get comfortable with adjusting your tensions. They're adjustable for a reason -- you are in control.

PM me if you have any questions.

Thank you Annette in Utah for the very helpful information. Tomorrow I will print a copy to put in my Bernina manual to refer to often.

Hello,

I find all of your comments interesting.
I think the dealer needs some lessons in customer service. Nuff said about that!

It brings me back to my own life time experience of sewing machines. I live in the boonies so my first machine was a catalog purchase, just a machine that would zig zag. With a growing family on a tight budget it saw lots of use daily. When it messed up, I cleaned and oiled it and it would purr right along then. Didn't matter what thread it had or silk or denim or canvas or upholstery material it just did what asked. Then I decided I needed a machine that would do decorative stitches. Again a catalog purchase. It is still going strong almost 40 years later. I did have a belt problem with it and it had to go to the shop. Guess what, the tech did replace the belt but didn't get it right after two tries, so I fixed it myself. She is still sewing any thing I ask. By the way they are Kenmores.

After hearing the problems with the Berninas I think I will avoid owning them.

I have started working with really old machines, and I love them. They are almost 100 years old neglected abused and for the most part with a little TLC sew a fine seam, again.

I love to sew but some of the new machines, the plastic wonders, sound like thrashing machines of old!

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Ethel

The big 7 and 8 Series Berninas haven't got the bugs worked out of them, yet. If you don't count the Deco machines, and a couple other experiments that went badly, the rest of the Berninas are pretty solid and awesome. I own a Bernina 230, plus several vintage machines. My Bernina is my Best Friend.