Hiding head in shame here...my poor machine hasn't had a professional tune-up in about 3 years. It's definitely needed since I sew almost every day, so "old girl" could use some internal love, LOL. My problem is this.. I HATE being without my machine! The place I take it to takes 2-3 weeks. I understand this because they service a lot of machines, and they do an excellent job for the money (approx. $90). But I only have one sewing machine, so that kind of puts me out of the game for almost a month.

My "solution" to my sewing machine selfishness :wink: is to wait until just before I am due to deliver (I am 8 months pregnant) and then take it in. I'm pretty sure I won't be sewing at least the first month with a newborn and also a 4 yr old running circles around me, LOL. :)

So how often do you all take your machine in for service?

When I had only one machine, I took it in once a year. Not what I have multiple machines, I take one in a year and rotate to make sure they all get their shot at service.

Congratulations on your baby. I hope everything goes well for you.

I do the annual thing, also. Mine is a bit overdue for a cleaning, although it is not acting up. When I complete my current quilt, I will take her in. Luckily, Hazel (my fw) can do stand-in. Actually looking forward to that as I don't sew on her often enough.

I have never taken my 1996 Viking Rose in for a "tune-up" & it has logged a lot of miles. Maybe some have seen the quilt pictures I posted on 1/7. I'm just careful to keep in clean.

yearly is recomended.

I have 3 machines and a serger. I have found a wonderful independent repaIr guy who only charges me $65.00 for an annual. All mine go in once a year tho on a rotating schedule.

Cindy

I never have. As long as they sew I do the cleaning and oiling myself. Now that I have a really nice Janome that I won at Threads of Time in Danville, Il. at their customer appreciation days I might have to start letting Bill check it out now and then but with the cheapies I've had in the past I just got different machines when they konked. A cheap portable would usually last me around two-four years of hard, hard sewing. That was okay with me.

Sew alot and do regular cleaning but I have too much money invested in my machine so it goes back to the dealer every year for good cleaning and check over.80 miles away....

I have a $100 Brother machine from Wal-mart that is 6 years old. I've never taken it anywhere.

I send my Elna 7200 in every 2 years, as recommended by my dealer.

I know what you mean about being with your machine so why not buy a reasonable priced backup, I bought a lovely 1950s Singer for just £50/$76 the best buy ever. It is great for classes, when my machine is away for service, etc; etc; a backup machine IMO is essential.

Hi,

I take my machines in for a thorough cleaning every year, or at 5 million stitches on my Elegante2 embroidery one.
I clean mine regularly, but certainly can't do what the dealer does as they take the entire casing off the machine and check everything.
Bev

It depends on the machine. The Janome 10001 needs an annual checkup. Can't always tell when things are wrong and since it is not only expensive, but also electronic, I choose to do as the manufacturer recommends. Now that it is 10 years old, out of warranty and had some work done last year (like replacing bobbin casing, etc.), I will probably go to 2 years since I don't have to worry about voiding the warranty. My inexpensive machines only go when they have problems, i.e., never. Not sure what I'll do with the new Janome embroidery machine. To answer what I believe is part of your question, if the machine is worth less than a few hundred to replace, I wouldn't take it in unless I was having problems. Bench charge is too high.

Blessings. Cherie

I think your solution sounds fine and not selfish at all. ;-) The best time to take it in is when you know you won't be using it, isn't it :?: Congrads on the baby, altho I don't envy you with a newborn and 4 year old. Don't forget to pamper yourself some. DH can take over long enough for a bubble bath. :!:

God Bless you all. Cherie

My Baby Lock is seven or eight years old. Never had a tune up or problem with it. I love it. For some reason, I decide that I should take it in for a tune up. It's a minimum of $70.00. Took it in on Tuesday and begged for fast service. Got it back yesterday for $108.00. The bobbin case needed replacing. It sews and sounds wonderful. But, now the screen ony lights up half way. Didn't have that problem before I took it in. I called and he said it was probably a wire loose. I have to take it back again, 40 miles one way.
When you take your machine for service, ask that it be plugged in and take a few stitches before leaving the shop. If I would have done that, I would have immediately noticed the light not working properly.

I have taken my Viking in to be serviced 2 times. I have had it 4 years. As far as my older machines. Never, I can service them myself! If it is not broke, don't fix it. Good time is when you have the new baby home. Not a whole lot of time to sew for a few weeks. Best wishes on new arrival!!!

I take my Bernina sewing machine and serger in once a year to be cleaned, etc. I have a Kenmore sewing machine that is now 23 years old that I have never had serviced. It still sews fine.

I purchased a service plan with my Bernina, so I can take it in as often as I want for cleaning, adjusting, updating, whatever. We go south to visit our kids 2-3 times a year, so I drop it off just before we leave. I am going to purchase another service plan when this one expires. I have several backup machines, but I still miss the Bernina when I don't have it.

Mine haven't been taken in yet... I clean them myself :D:D:D

I wish all dealers had service plans!

I try to take mine in once a year. Last time was when I was 7 months pregnant - I was feeling too tired all the time to sew as well. Then again, I definitely didn't use it for the first couple of months after my daughter was born!

Good luck with the delivery!

For the three vintage machines I got recently I had them all serviced. I found a place that will do it for $65. I think I can oil them myself now. My older singer that I got in 1964 (I think a 327) has only been serviced a few times in it's life. And it hasn't ever been a problem. The cheapy Brother from Costco in the $100 range has had the most use in the 7 years since I got it, and has never been serviced - I did put a drop or two of oil where I thought it should go, and cleaned out the bobbin case once after the flannel/chenille quilt. This little machine is a workhorse.

I had my Brother 9 years before I had anyting done to it. It started acting funny with the emb. unit on it. I described the problem to the repairman, he knew right away what it was. he had it for about a week. His only comment was-you use this machine hard, you might want to bring it in a bit more often.
Really? between the kids and myself the poor thing never had a day off. Now it's just me and one DD so it does get a bit of rest.

I just took in my Viking 1 for the first time in 10 years and just brought her home today. Sadly, there are four college boys playing video games in the room I use for sewing so she's sitting on the floor patiently waiting to get back into her cabinet.

They told me that she's running very quietly now, had been clattering a bit when I took her in. I guess she should have gone in sooner.

My Pfaff dealer recomends having a tune up done once every 12 to 18 months. I don't always do that but i make sure it's done once every 2 years.

I do my cleaning weekly as need arises and keep an eye out on several of my quilter friends as well. The surprises you find when taking off the underplate. :shock:

As Quiltingaddict suggested, keep an eye out for a back-up used machine. I have 10 machines mostly nice but vintage and some that I have paid no more than 5 or 10$ for. Congrats on the expanding family and I doubt you will be sewing up a storm for a few days/months.

piney

well, I must be the worst "owner" in the world. I never take my machines in. I service my mechanicals myself, just following the instructions in the manual, and my computerized ones I just keep clean according to the manual. If something were to go terribly wrong and I couldn't figure it out, I would have the machine in the shop in a heartbeat, but so far I guess I've been pretty lucky.

I take my Bernina in once a year. The last time I took it to a local Bernina Dealer, they had it 6 weeks and it still was'nt done, so I called another one 3 hours away, because I was from out of town, he gave me same day service and charged me less!! Now I won't go anywhere else. My daughter goes with me and we have lunch and shop while we wait.

I take my Viking Rose in once a year for cleaning etc. and wait until I am planning a vacation so I won't be without it. I do have a backup (Viking 100) just in case.

Yearly unless it gets over worked then 2x a year..

My singer 401A is over 50 years old - had it completely overhauled once because needle shaft shifted. I clean and oil it thoroughly when I feel it needs it.
Machine is all metal so I feel this is the reason I have had few problems. Also, as with a lot of machines, appliances there is only one operator. My husband believes that also for his tools.

Fortunately I have several machines so I religiously take mine in yearly to be gone over. I also am good about cleaning and oiling my machines at the end of each major project. We are forunate here to have a good shop that does the work for about $60 and it is worth it

Mine tells me when I've sewn 1 million stitches, but I take it in every year regardless.

The turn around time for cleaning at our sewing machine service center is also 4-6 weeks BUT we can make an appointment for cleaning. Our wonderful service man knows we hate being without our machines and says they can wait their turn with us rather than lonely on his shelves. The cleaning appointment will be 4-6 weeks out but you keep and use your machine right up to your appointment and then take it in on your appointment and pick it up the next day, except for the rare exception when your machine needs a part that he doesn't have in stock. Even then, if it is going to take more than a day or so to get the part and if the machine can be used temporarily without damage to the worn part, he will normally return the machine to you for you to bring it back when the part is in. Check with your shop to see if they also offer this service. :thumbup:

I had that happen with my Pfaff 2054 - they had a defective spring that had to be replaced - and when I got back home, found the screen completely dark! I called the shop and he told me a few things to do - but since I couldn't see "anything" on the blacked-out screen, I ended up going back (40 miles) and he had to get another machine in the shop and set it next to it so he could see that screen to go through through the steps. I definitely recommend having them plug it in before leaving the shop with this computer stuff. :-)
Marysewfun

If you are lucky to have found a good repairman you can trust you are one of the very few! I do my own tune up for all my machines, even the computerized one. I bought the machine repair books. The most important thing to know is how to open the top of the machine the right way and put it back. The rest is just cleaning it out. The computer machine component part doesn't need maint. on the computer parts. It works or it doesn't. Time for a new board if the computer messes up.

Never. The Bernina dealer in Dublin is known to wreck machines, and the alternatives are too far away to send it unless there's something wrong.

I've had the covers off my 440 to clean it out myself though.

Send my machine in for a tune up and a good cleaning and oiling once a year. Between 'shop visits' my machine gets cleaned and the oil checked (:-) every time I change the bobbin.

Since I am currently unemployed, $$ is tight, so I do my own cleaning/oiling. However, my only machine newer than 1970's is an embroidery machine, and I do take it in when I think it needs it. All my other machines are mechanical, reasonably easy to service.