I have a brother cs6000i....my tension is completely screwed up!! The hubbs helped me take it apart and clean all the dustballs from the bobbin case and.....ewwww! But the tension is still wrong. No matter what number it's on the top thread is little bumps and the bobbin thread is loose...i can pull my thread right out of the bobbin loops. I've tried re-threading, and different bobbins. Now I'm stuck wondering if i should bring it to a shop---which i have no idea who is good here on the island--or just getting a new machine since this one was less then $200 if i remember correctly. So bummed!! I have an antique machine in good condition---still upstate at my dad's. I haven't tried it out yet but the woman that gave it to my mom said her mom used it for piecing and quilting. grrr.

Take the bobbin back out, make sure it is seated correctly in the machine. When you pull the thread, make sure it catches on the hook. To tell if it is on the hook correctly, when you pull the thread it should come across the middle of the bobbin . When you pull the thread towards the back of the machine , that is

I am always up for a new machine. that i how I got my new (used) one. My singer broke and took it in to get fixed. ran into a wonderful lady who said that she would sell me one of her old ones. (only 18 months old) her hubby said no more machines until she got rid of one of them. he demand was my blessing. I have my singer still, got it fixed and useing it as a back up.
I would go get the one from your dads and take yours in to be looked at to see if it is worth fixing. If it is then go for it.

Sorry I can't help you, but I have this same machine and will watch this thread for possible solutions. I am so hard on sewing machines and am sure I will eventually have this same problem. Good luck!

Many of the members have the same machine you do. If you would, please send admin or one of the moderators a pm to change your topic title to something saying you need help with a cs6000. The members who also have one will know to pop in on your post before they read other post.
You can also search on cs6000, there have been some members having problems and some members are having no problems at all. danmar just got hers and loves it. She has not had problems.
Good luck. Regards, Dorothy

it sounds to me you need to adjust the tension on bobbin itself...sometimes they do screw up...there is a little screw (very little) on the side of the case....remember "righty tighty, lefty loosie"...try that and see if it helps...I would say tighter just from your explanation

It sounds as if the top tension is not engaging. If there was that much lint in the bobbin area, the top thread could have shredded and left lint or a piece of thread stuck between the top tension discs.

Try using a piece of *unwaxed* dental floss to floss between the upper tension discs. (Set upper tension to 0 so the discs are as far apart from each other as possible when you do this.) That should dislodge any piece of thread or lint that is preventing your top thread from being tensioned when you thread the machine.

Also, are you keeping the presser foot lever *up* when you rethread the machine? Upper thread will not be seated correctly between the discs if you try to rethread while the presser foot is down.

I don't have that machine, but there are a few things I would try before taking it in. Change bobbins. Change the type of thread you are using in your bobbin and needle (i.e if you are using dual duty then try gutternans or if you are using guttermans then try another type). Change your needle. Try the machine on a different type of material. Try cleaning out your tension disc...I've heard people use unwaxed dental floss to clean out their top tensions...I have never done so, but it is worth a try.

I know it sounds crazy but sometimes just changing all of that makes a difference.

laughing....I just read the previous post about using the unwaxed dental floss.

There are lots of good ideas here. It sounds like the upper tension is the problem. I hope you get it fixed.

I don't have a machine like yours but they all mess up the same way. If the bobbin thread is messed up it's usually the top thread that is wrong somewhere. Is your needle in backward? Are you threading it left to right or right to left? That will really mess up a stitch (took me hours to figure that out) Has little fingers been turning your tension dial? Maybe all the way around several time? (took me a few days to figure that one out) My bobbin winder wasn't all the way disengaged and the machine just wouldn't sew a seam no matter what I did. (took me several weeks to figure that one out).

Now that I think about it I think its the upper tension too...something anin't right

:thumbdown:

I have the same machine and have had lots of problems with tension and funny noises until...... I took the bobbin thingy complete out and cleaned the lint out of there. Yuck! I didn't know that the thing the bobbin sits in comes out too. There are four parts to remove - the bobbin cover, the bobbin, the plate, and the bobbin case. I use a pipe cleaner and clean it often. Do not blow air into there. It will only drive the dust further in to where you can't get to it.

Be sure the bobbin is wound properly, not too loose. Also, re-thread the top section and make sure to keep tension on the thread as you are threading it. I do not pull the bobbin thread up before I start sewing. I always sew on a scrap before sewing on the real thing to make sure it's right.

Well my amazing husband had a jersey job to finish and fixed it!!! There were issues due to all the lint--I had no idea that bobbin case came out until he did it :roll: whoops.....but apparently I forgot to try the most basic thing. I put the bobbin in upside down twice. He thought it was odd when he saw me do it but didn't say anything !!!! Normally when it doesn't stitch I'll flip the bobbin over and check that first. Guess I was still on the high of getting the ridiculous amount of dust bunnies out of the machine. Oooops :) Thanks to all of your great ideas....gonna remember them all for next time. After I try flipping the bobbin of course :wink:

Hi;

I've heard that this machine has tensioning problems with inexpensive and old dried-out thread. You may want to give a premimum thread a try before hauling the machine to the shop. There's also some thread lubricants you can drop onto a spool or bobbin -- sorry, but I don't remember any brand names.

This is what was wrong with my Brother CS6000i... I put the bobbin in incorrectly. Thanks very much for you post... and your husband!

This is what was wrong with my Brother CS6000i... I put the bobbin in incorrectly. Thanks very much for you post... and your husband!

i'll let him know he saved the day again :) he'll feel super :)

Try to get into the habit of cleaning out the lint everytime you put in a new bobbin. :thumbup:

Melissa my DD bought me one of these same machines last year. I used it less than 3 months when the tension goofed up on me too. I couldn't get it to work at all. I tried and tried. She bought it off of eBay so no way to return it. It was less than $125 and my repair guy wanted $79 to check it out? So I didn't figure it was worth it. I went to Joann's and bought a little singer that was on sale for $85 and it's been chuggin right along for the past 11 months. It's not a fancy machine but it sews great. Sorry this happened to you. Someone else was complaining about the same machine on here a few months ago. I think they are just overpriced machines. I can't tell you what to do but I'd find a sewing machine shop that will accept it as a trade in and get a new machine. Good Luck...crafty_linda_b

I am having bobbin problems with this machine. I have done absolutely everything that the manual suggests, as well as all that's been suggested here. Thought I had it working for a bit, but I didn't. Not sure what else to do at this point. The machine is a couple of weeks away from being 2 years old and for what I paid for it, I have certainly gotten my moneys worth out of it. Wondering if I should just replace it at this point. Getting frustrated and getting behind on projects.

try turning off the machine and letting the computer reset for a minute.....turn it back on and see if that makes a difference