My Gran and Mom always cut it at the top and pulled it through so that's how I do it. Just habit, right or wrong. Mom didn't so much, but Gran used to keep those little spares in a pile, and when she cleaned up she'd put them outside on the woodpile - said the birds like to use them for nesting.

My service tech said to cut and pull thread from the bottom since it keeps lint and junk out of the tension discs. For the cost of a few inches of thread vs. machine repair (or worse, being without my machine for a few days!) it's not worth the risk. A reminder to all...my tech says people don't clean and oil enough, so be sure to treat those babies with loving care! And change your needle while you're at it.

thanks for the inffo learn something every day from this board

It may be a bit of a waste of thread, but messing up the tension discs is far more expensive.

Why waste thread? Put it on a needle and use it for applique or putting binding on! :thumbup:

I've been sewing on the same Bernina for 20 years now and have never done this and have never had any tension problems nor any excess dust or debris. I always use high quality thread and lift the presser foot.

Learned something new today also. Thanks!!

Yes, cut the thread at the spool and pull the thread out from the needle. This is the way my Bernina dealer explained it.
Not only will doing it wrong mess up your tension he said it will pull lint up through your machine.

It also prevents the thread from "linting" in your machine. When the thread is pulled backward through the tension it leaves fine lint in the machine. The way the tread is spun onto the spools, the thread does not "lint" nearly as much as it would if spun on in the opposite direction. Thread has a right side/direction and a wrong side/direction.

I've been sewing for over 50 years and didn't know this. If I empty a spool I pull it through from the bottom and if I am changing spools for color I pull it out from the spool. It has never made any difference.