I have a Pfaff 2170 and I rarely use all the wonderful buttons and stitches it has.
But I have (for some reason) suddenly become interested in using it's tie off feature at the beginning of my seams. (It can also tie off at both ends but I just want to do the beginnings).
Anyway, I got the manual out, pressed the correct button and it worked! But then I stopped, moved the fabric, and started again but this time it didn't work. Again and again it didn't work even though the button was clearly selected.
So I turned the machine off, selected the tie off button again, it worked fine the first time, but again after I stop, move the fabric a little, and start again it doesn't work after the first time.
Does anyone have a Pfaff and can tell me what I'm going wrong? The manual is no help and I've been googling all sorts of things for Pfaff tie off stitch etc but I can't find any troubleshooting info.
Thanks

I have a Viking so not sure this is the answer but I have to press the button (mine's called "Fix") at the start of each seam. It doesn't stay on after I sew/fix the first seam I'm sewing. Clear as mud?? If I want to fix the next seam I press the button.

You have to press the reverse button and then it wil tie off and then when you start again it will tie. Either that or you have a button to start the same stitch over again and press that. Hope this is plain as mud, maybe it will help.

You have to press the reverse button and then it wil tie off and then when you start again it will tie. Either that or you have a button to start the same stitch over again press that. Hope this is plain as mud, maybe it will help.

There is a site called oldpfaffpforum that answers questions about "not new" pfaff machines. You have to sign up but maybe they can help you if the suggestions given by others here don't help.

Oops, meant to add that even if your pfaff isn't old they can probably help

Thanks but that doesn't seem to work.
I've also tried touching the button each time but that just turns it on and off.
The manual says "if you select one of the functions (in the tie off program) it remains active even if you select another stitch. they will remain active until you switch off the machine".

One of my machines will remember the tie off each time, the other machine I have to push the button each time.

Yes I belong to 2 Pfaff forums at Yahoo. But the search wasn't working at the moment. I didn't want to post a message there if it'd already been answered. So I was hoping someone here could help.

On my 7570, I touch the tie off stitch each time I want to tie with a lock stitch. HTH

This machine also has an "immediate tie off" button that I can push each time, but I wanted to use the programmed one that will do it each time until I turn it off.

I'm not sure what you mean. If it's programmed to tie off at the beginning of each seam, how does the backstitch button activate it?
The manual doesn't mention that.

Good luck! My machine is with the doctor right now, so I can't play with it to see what it does...

The machine probably assumes that there will be some sewing done between tie off stitches. First you tie off, then you sew, then you tie off again. If you don't sew after you tie off, the machine won't "understand" why you want to tie off again right away. The only way to do that is to reset the stitch and start over.

I recently learned in my machine quilting class that I need to pull the bobbin thread to the top before I tie off. The way I can tie off is by setting the stitch length to .4 or .6 mm and taking 5-7 tiny stitches. Then I will sew my pattern in regular stitch length. I finish off with the reduced stitch at the end and trim the threads. It makes a nice clean seam for quilting inside a square or pattern.

My machine has the tie off stitch selector. When I engage it, the back stitch sets the stitch at the end of the stitching. I just love all of my options.

I do the tie off on both ends and it works for me....

On my Viking I can go into the main menu and turn on or off auto fix. When on it fixes at the beginning of each seam. When off I have to manually select the fix button.

Your might try the Pfaff.com website. I have a 7570 and I have to select that function whenever I want it to happen. I'm not sure why the machine would know if I need to tie off otherwise. I am constantly starting and stopping when I work at the machine (not always at the end of a seam) and raising/lowering the presser foot.

I've only used the tie off stitch when sewing garments. I don't use that particular function when I piece because I always am sewing over another seam. Where would you use it when you quilt?

By the way, sewing on a button using your machine is the only way to go. If you have to handsew one it might end up in the terminal "round-to-it" repair pile.

So far I've only been sewing on a scrap trying to get the **** tie off stitch to work. I thought I could use it sewing the seams on my quilts since I usually do a tack every 12" or so anyway, just in case a thread comes loose it wouldn't be able to unravel the whole seam. A leftover of hand quilting. Every time I stop to readjust the quilt, I wanted it to do a tie off when I start again.
I've pretty much given up on it though. I guess I'll just have to use the "immediate tie off" button that I push each time, but it's a shame this machine has a "programmed tie off" (that I don't have to push each time) and the manual doesn't explain well enough to make it work.