FW question
 

I am enjoying sewing with my 'new' FW but I do have a question.

When I want a longer thread tail coming from the needle and I try and pull it through, it is very tight and I am afraid I will break the needle.

What am I doing wrong and how can I correct this to get the longer thread tail?

Thanks to my QB buddies.

Is the presser foot up or down when you try to pull the thread?

I know where you're coming from, Charlee. If the presser foot is down, the tension is engaged and the thread doesn't want to move through. If the foot is up, tension is disengaged and thread will pull through easily.

If that isn't the problem, I'm not sure what else would do this. It sews alright, doesn't it?

Thank you, ladies, I don't have the machine out right now. I will check the position of the pressure foot when I am trying to pull the thread.

I am excited to know that this might (and I think it will) correct my problem.

Ooh - I've been having the same problem. I noticed that raising the pressure foot does not always disengage the tension disks. You can see them move if you watch. I have to use some extra pressure on the lever to raise the pressure foot - move it toward the machine. I plan to disassemble the tension disks and clean them. If that doesn't work, I'll be here asking for advice.

Doesn't the pressure knob on top of the machine loosen the ability to raise the pressure foot?

This is one I know the answer to. When you lift up the presser foot, there is a small lever that pushes on the back of the tensioner and thus releases the thread.
Problem that you are both describing is one I experienced with several machines. One was because I removed the tensioner to clean it and when I put it back into the machine, I'd not put it quite as far in as it was before. The release bar was therefore not pushing on the back of the mechanism enough to release the thread. Solution was to loosen the screw once again and push it back a little further. It's exactly right when the presser bar is up and you're able to pull the thread out.
The other cause of the problem is that the release has been used and used and used with no lube and has worn down. Drop of tri-flow will stop the wear and you'll need to either replace the release bar (hard) or push the tensioner in a little further (easy).
A temporary solution is to hold the foot release up as you pull the thread out. This will release the tension. My current 66 has the problem and rather than mess with the tensioner, I always lift the foot release to get the thread out. Yes I am indeed incredibly lazy. Might get around to it some day.

I guess I can get in line behind the lazy ones here on the board, for I have had the very same thing happen to me with one of my FWs, and fiddled and fiddled with the presser foot release, at the same time pulling on my thread until it would come through smoothly (not completely locked in place in the tensioner); and I don't know the specifics of what I did, but it worked, and still does when I use that machine. I just have to remember that it is the one that gives me that problem. Maybe someday, I am too busy today to even go find the machine, let alone try to work out that little problem with it.

Some times those tensions have dried up oil on the moving bits. That has to be cleaned off and then reset the tension so they work well again.

When you get to the end of the seam, raise you needle to the highest point and the raise the pressure foot. The thread will slide out smoothly. You should do this on all machines. It will also keep you from jamming the machine up with a thread caught in the bobbin area. Hope this helps.