I've only had mine since January, but when she malfunctioned yeterday, I panicked. I was envisioning having to change patterns in a quilt I'm doing in a hurry as the Elna would eat the little triangles. The bobbin thread had slipped out of the slot. I think the bobbin was too full. Easy fix, whew. AnnieRose FMQs beautifully, but it's still a learning curve for me.
Part of the good bobbin stitching is the type of bobbin. A rotary bobbin with a case feeds the thread directly to the stitch unlike an oscillating drop in bobbin. One more reason AnnieRose outquilts Miss Elna. Can't say as I like changing the bobbin with a case and it doesn't hold as much, but the stitching makes up for it. The Elna has a more perfect stitch, but for a lot of reasons, she can't quilt.