Bernina 830 users
05-19-2020, 07:21 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 22
Bernina 830 users
Hello,
I picked up a Bernina 830 today. It’s been sitting unused for awhile. I’m sure it needs a good oiling but how do I go about that? I want to make sure I do everything right. The wheel seems a little tight. I’ve not plugged it in yet or run it. It came in a beautiful large cabinet, with manual and the little red Bernina box full of feet. I know nothing about these machines but new the newer models are very popular, so took a chance on this one. I’d love any suggestions. Thanks in advance.
thanks!
I picked up a Bernina 830 today. It’s been sitting unused for awhile. I’m sure it needs a good oiling but how do I go about that? I want to make sure I do everything right. The wheel seems a little tight. I’ve not plugged it in yet or run it. It came in a beautiful large cabinet, with manual and the little red Bernina box full of feet. I know nothing about these machines but new the newer models are very popular, so took a chance on this one. I’d love any suggestions. Thanks in advance.
thanks!
05-19-2020, 08:07 PM
#2
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,578
Good for you... in 1971 I purchased a Brand new 830 portable with the red case...still using it it is a workhorse... be sure to read you manual and oil and grease as illustrated and put in a new needle. Check the wheel it loosens to fill bobbin. May need a drop of oil if it has been sitting awhile. Thinking you will be happy with your machine. 👍
05-20-2020, 04:26 AM
#3
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Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 22
Originally Posted by judy363905
Good for you... in 1971 I purchased a Brand new 830 portable with the red case...still using it it is a workhorse... be sure to read you manual and oil and grease as illustrated and put in a new needle. Check the wheel it loosens to fill bobbin. May need a drop of oil if it has been sitting awhile. Thinking you will be happy with your machine. 👍
05-21-2020, 07:30 AM
#4
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 22
Anyone else? I tried to sew with it and it’s not making nice stitches for a straight stitch? I oiled everything I saw that moved. It was in a table that went down on a slate. Do you think it’s possible the bouncy ride home jarred something? The wheel has not gotten any looser since oiling moving parts. The belts to me look in fine shape.
it seems like it’s possible the wheel sticks in a certain place more than others and I read that can be a bad sign but not 100 percent sure. Not sure I wanna invest anymore money into it.
it seems like it’s possible the wheel sticks in a certain place more than others and I read that can be a bad sign but not 100 percent sure. Not sure I wanna invest anymore money into it.
05-21-2020, 08:50 AM
#5
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Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: River City, Orygun
Posts: 86
There's more than one 830 model from Bernina. If yours is the "Record" model from the 70's it's worth putting a little "shop time" in it. The resale is fantastic on these.
There are plenty of maintenance videos out there that cover oiling. The top flips up, the nose cover swings out, the free arm can be exposed, and the drive end and motor covers come off as well as the bottom cover and motor cover. The spool stand and back cover can be removed also, all exposing oiling points. On some of the models the oiling points were highlighted with red paint. Mine isn't painted but the oil points are obvious. The manual does a fair job of describing this.
So... This machine doesn't spin as freely by turning the handwheel as a lot of machines out there. It's the belt drive system that creates some drag. Also there are perceived "tight" spots in the rotation. This is common in oscillating hook models, but when well maintained the difference is sometimes hard to feel.
These really are wonderful sewers, and with the resale being what it is, it's worth putting some money into if you can't do it yourself.
There are plenty of maintenance videos out there that cover oiling. The top flips up, the nose cover swings out, the free arm can be exposed, and the drive end and motor covers come off as well as the bottom cover and motor cover. The spool stand and back cover can be removed also, all exposing oiling points. On some of the models the oiling points were highlighted with red paint. Mine isn't painted but the oil points are obvious. The manual does a fair job of describing this.
So... This machine doesn't spin as freely by turning the handwheel as a lot of machines out there. It's the belt drive system that creates some drag. Also there are perceived "tight" spots in the rotation. This is common in oscillating hook models, but when well maintained the difference is sometimes hard to feel.
These really are wonderful sewers, and with the resale being what it is, it's worth putting some money into if you can't do it yourself.
05-21-2020, 09:06 AM
#6
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 22
Originally Posted by oldmanquilts
There's more than one 830 model from Bernina. If yours is the "Record" model from the 70's it's worth putting a little "shop time" in it. The resale is fantastic on these.
There are plenty of maintenance videos out there that cover oiling. The top flips up, the nose cover swings out, the free arm can be exposed, and the drive end and motor covers come off as well as the bottom cover and motor cover. The spool stand and back cover can be removed also, all exposing oiling points. On some of the models the oiling points were highlighted with red paint. Mine isn't painted but the oil points are obvious. The manual does a fair job of describing this.
So... This machine doesn't spin as freely by turning the handwheel as a lot of machines out there. It's the belt drive system that creates some drag. Also there are perceived "tight" spots in the rotation. This is common in oscillating hook models, but when well maintained the difference is sometimes hard to feel.
These really are wonderful sewers, and with the resale being what it is, it's worth putting some money into if you can't do it yourself.
There are plenty of maintenance videos out there that cover oiling. The top flips up, the nose cover swings out, the free arm can be exposed, and the drive end and motor covers come off as well as the bottom cover and motor cover. The spool stand and back cover can be removed also, all exposing oiling points. On some of the models the oiling points were highlighted with red paint. Mine isn't painted but the oil points are obvious. The manual does a fair job of describing this.
So... This machine doesn't spin as freely by turning the handwheel as a lot of machines out there. It's the belt drive system that creates some drag. Also there are perceived "tight" spots in the rotation. This is common in oscillating hook models, but when well maintained the difference is sometimes hard to feel.
These really are wonderful sewers, and with the resale being what it is, it's worth putting some money into if you can't do it yourself.
thank you so much. This was very helpful. So maybe mine is okay handwheel wise but just sewing a little rough.
It’s an older model. I will try to attach photos here. I’m working on it right now. It came in this nice cabinet.
mine doesn’t have the red paint either. So there are oiling points under where the spools go?
05-21-2020, 12:27 PM
#7
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Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 22
This is what I’m getting for my straight stitch. Would anyone be willing to post photos of theirs? It doesn’t match up to the straightness of the sample that was in the presser foot. It looks a little worse in person than the photos show.
any suggestions?
any suggestions?
05-21-2020, 08:47 PM
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 2,070
That Bernina 830 is my favorite machine to service! To check the tensions, put a dark color thread in the top and a light color thread in the bobbin, then set the stitch width on 3 and the stitch length on 2. Sew with it and see if the top thread pulls to the bottom or the bobbin thread pulls to the top.
The fabric you're sewing on can create a crooked stitch. If you use a finer fabric and a smaller stitch length, the stitches will look straighter.
The 830 came with 2 different foot controls. If your foot control has a potentiometer on the bottom (looks like a small, black plastic screw), you can adjust it to get smoother power to the machine. If it stutters, no matter where you adjust the potentiometer, there's a capacitor that can be replaced to fix the problem.
If your machine doesn't have the potentiometer, you've got a carbon pile foot control. If there's a capacitor in that foot control, it can be a fire hazzard. Your Bernina dealer will have a free part (thermal switch) to replace that with.
You can usually check the motor brushes on an 830 without taking the motor out. Some models have a plug on top of the motor housing that pops out, then you twist the plastic screw, and the motor brush will pop out. Other models you have to remove the motor housing. You can clean the armature or commutator if it looks black, with a folded bit of sandpaper, while running the motor.
There are lots of little tweaks you can do on this machine to make it so fabulous! Needle/hook distance, thread passage, polish the hook, adjust the feed dog height. You have a great machine!
The fabric you're sewing on can create a crooked stitch. If you use a finer fabric and a smaller stitch length, the stitches will look straighter.
The 830 came with 2 different foot controls. If your foot control has a potentiometer on the bottom (looks like a small, black plastic screw), you can adjust it to get smoother power to the machine. If it stutters, no matter where you adjust the potentiometer, there's a capacitor that can be replaced to fix the problem.
If your machine doesn't have the potentiometer, you've got a carbon pile foot control. If there's a capacitor in that foot control, it can be a fire hazzard. Your Bernina dealer will have a free part (thermal switch) to replace that with.
You can usually check the motor brushes on an 830 without taking the motor out. Some models have a plug on top of the motor housing that pops out, then you twist the plastic screw, and the motor brush will pop out. Other models you have to remove the motor housing. You can clean the armature or commutator if it looks black, with a folded bit of sandpaper, while running the motor.
There are lots of little tweaks you can do on this machine to make it so fabulous! Needle/hook distance, thread passage, polish the hook, adjust the feed dog height. You have a great machine!
05-22-2020, 03:55 AM
#10
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 22
Originally Posted by quiltedsunshine
That Bernina 830 is my favorite machine to service! To check the tensions, put a dark color thread in the top and a light color thread in the bobbin, then set the stitch width on 3 and the stitch length on 2. Sew with it and see if the top thread pulls to the bottom or the bobbin thread pulls to the top.
The fabric you're sewing on can create a crooked stitch. If you use a finer fabric and a smaller stitch length, the stitches will look straighter.
The 830 came with 2 different foot controls. If your foot control has a potentiometer on the bottom (looks like a small, black plastic screw), you can adjust it to get smoother power to the machine. If it stutters, no matter where you adjust the potentiometer, there's a capacitor that can be replaced to fix the problem.
If your machine doesn't have the potentiometer, you've got a carbon pile foot control. If there's a capacitor in that foot control, it can be a fire hazzard. Your Bernina dealer will have a free part (thermal switch) to replace that with.
You can usually check the motor brushes on an 830 without taking the motor out. Some models have a plug on top of the motor housing that pops out, then you twist the plastic screw, and the motor brush will pop out. Other models you have to remove the motor housing. You can clean the armature or commutator if it looks black, with a folded bit of sandpaper, while running the motor.
There are lots of little tweaks you can do on this machine to make it so fabulous! Needle/hook distance, thread passage, polish the hook, adjust the feed dog height. You have a great machine!
The fabric you're sewing on can create a crooked stitch. If you use a finer fabric and a smaller stitch length, the stitches will look straighter.
The 830 came with 2 different foot controls. If your foot control has a potentiometer on the bottom (looks like a small, black plastic screw), you can adjust it to get smoother power to the machine. If it stutters, no matter where you adjust the potentiometer, there's a capacitor that can be replaced to fix the problem.
If your machine doesn't have the potentiometer, you've got a carbon pile foot control. If there's a capacitor in that foot control, it can be a fire hazzard. Your Bernina dealer will have a free part (thermal switch) to replace that with.
You can usually check the motor brushes on an 830 without taking the motor out. Some models have a plug on top of the motor housing that pops out, then you twist the plastic screw, and the motor brush will pop out. Other models you have to remove the motor housing. You can clean the armature or commutator if it looks black, with a folded bit of sandpaper, while running the motor.
There are lots of little tweaks you can do on this machine to make it so fabulous! Needle/hook distance, thread passage, polish the hook, adjust the feed dog height. You have a great machine!
I have the adjustable pedal as I changed the speed so it runs smooth now. And I saw that screw cover. I'll check that when I get home. Thank you.
There is a local sewing store i could try too if all else fails.
