Cedar

This morning to my boyfriend "This machine is my favorite. It quilts so smoothly. If I were to have to give it up Id wasn't another just like it" about my grandma's Bernia 1230. Apparently I jinxed myself. While I was piecing a spring pooped loose near the thread take up lever.

Has anyone fixed this? I looked up some tutorials online but I couldn't get the release on the side panel to unclip. It looks like you have to take it completely apart to get to the front. It looks like a quilt shop 2 house away has a Bernina repair. My town is a pretty isolated and having a lot of transition in craft stores.

Iceblossom

Ack! I've had things happen but not usually to this extent.

I'd think the machine would be worth fixing, it may take some time and more money than you'd expect, but this is hopefully something that someone who know how to get where they are going can fix it. I gave up on repairing my modern/computerized Bernina 820 (not a happy story) due to the increasing price/scarcity of the piece that kept breaking -- It would have been my 4th? in 7 or so years. The parts alone this last time would have been about $600 without labor and I decided to use that as my shopping budget for a new machine. I was ok with the $200-400 I paid each time before but I had enough into that particular machine which, while great when it ran, was never my favorite machine.

Onebyone

I would call the shop and ask about the repair. Being a spring it shouldn't be problem. The service charge to bring it in the door will be the same on all machines most likely then the part and labor cost.

AprilM

Aaaarrrrgggghhh! Would this be the tension spring where you pull the thread through when threading your machine? If so, i did have one of those fail on one of my machines (i have a sitdown Nolting quilting machine - just a basic non-computerized machine i use for FMQ and rulerwork).

I called in to Nolting and they walked me through replacing the spring myself after ordering some extra springs which werent expensive. It wasnt hard and just involved loosening some screws to pull the entire tension assembly out and put it back in.

BUT i am definitely not a tool person so it was kinda stressful for me. After that i went online and ordered a complete tension assembly so that i would have a backup just in case it happened again. I think it was less than $60.00 but it bought me some time the next time it happened cuz my husband IS mechanically inclined. The next time it happened he just pulled the whole assembly and put the new one in. Then he replaced the spring in the original one when he had time so now i have a backup again.

Anyway just some thoughts. Is your boyfriend handy with tools at all? Maybe i am showing my age - lol! Cuz YOU could very possibly know your way around the toolbox yourself and if so, i APPLAUD YOU for that accomplishment!

Cedar

I am handy with tools. Between me and my dad we almost got it on. We took it apart but we weren't able to get all the wat to the assembly (the only tutorial I could find didn't go that far) and I wasnt able to find exactly where the spring hooks on.

So the plan is to take it to the shop a couple hours away. Dad has a Dr appointment on Tuesday nearby so he will be in town. Hopefully they'll be able to pop it on with a bench service. Otherwise it will be 3 weeks until they can service it. We had the repair shop in our area close down not long ago and its given them extra work.

The good news is there's other machines I can use. Im currently getting to know the Janome sd2012. Its loads better than my Husqvarna that was probably in need of service when I last used it 10 years ago. I think I might like the Bernina better, which is fine because I think this one has been claimed for my cousin's daughter (They both were my grandma's), but Im happy to use it for now.

AprilM

Well, Cedar it sounds like you tried what you could and now have a work-around to get you back to sewing again! BUT i am even more pleased to hear that you have a backup machine or two, cuz i dont know about you but when i DIDNT have another machine to fall back on that seemed to be the time when i WANTED to sew the MOST! I kid you NOT! LOL! Keeping my fingers crossed for a quick and inexpensive fix!!!

Quiltah Mama

I popped a spring one time right next to my bobbin case onetime when I was cleaning my Janome. I took it to my local Janome dealer for repair, two week turnaround time. AprilM, I agree, wanted to sew more than ever while it was away. I had other machines I could sew on, but no where near as enjoyable. That did show me though, I am a modern machine sewist, I sold my vintage singer and my original machine that I bought at a thrift shop over 30 years ago, a Dressmaker. I apparently like the modern bells and whistles on these new machines. I now have two Janomes, 9480 and a heavy duty Janome, and if anything needs repair they would go to the shop which is about an hour from me. I will be bringing my machine in for its annual cleaning later this spring, early summer when I will be outside doing yard work and just plain enjoying being outside with warmer weather after this long cold winter, hopefully that will be enough distraction to not want to be inside sewing.