I bought a Bernina 930
 

Now I just need to figure out why the handwheel does not turn easily if at all. When I use the foot feeder the machine works great but with a little bit of noise that I can't pin point. It's either in the handwheel or the motor. I'm more inclined to think it's the wheel. Could it be the spring? Are those easy to change?
I've been googling all day but I can't find any info on this model other than I should use the basting stitch often to keep it from seizing. So if I do a basting stitch the handwheel will turn...by hand?

I only paid $25 for it at a garage sale. The 2nd owner said she thought the tension was off. which is kind of a lol after reading one persons view of owners always blaming the tension.

This is sewing machine number 5. I need to add a sewing room onto the house....with a bathroom. :D

I don't know much about Bernina machines. There is a 30 something yahoo group I read on but I can't remember the pass word so I never post. I'm guessing it needs dried oil cleaned off and re-oiling. Dried up oil can make a machine not turn easily. People blaming the knobs when things don't turn. It isn't the knobs most likely.

Hi Kathy,

That's a great machine! I own one, and it's one of my favorites to service. I'm a Bernina tech. at my day job.

When you take the top off of the machine, the handwheel will only turn by hand BACKWARDS. There's a "needle up" clutch on the handwheel that won't allow it to turn forward by hand. The clutch makes a noise every time the machine comes to a stop, as it calculates when the needle is in its highest position. Could that be the noise you hear?

The basting devise is the small knob on the left front of the machine. It will make the needle skip every-other stitch or every-third stitch. Not very practical, so Bernina didn't put it on very many models.

If it's gummed up, you can remove that old oil, and it will be a great machine for a long time to come. And its a real, solid work horse!

Let me know if that answered your questions. I'll check back.

Backwards meaning away or towards you?

Backwards is away from you.

The 930 is well worth a service. This model has an extra strong motor and the parts in the freearm is sturdily built. The stitch selection is veyr nice and it behaves impeccably when sorted out.

I would inspect for thread mess some where or part stuck like a broken needle or pin. It's hard to give anything but general advice; take the top off and the top of the free arm (remove needle and preser foot in advance). It's usually about cleaning and oiling, checking for thread mess either in the bobbin area or in the hand wheel. Inspect the white plastic gears as well. With good light and wiggeling the hand wheel as far as it will allow the problem should be detectable.

I love love Bernina machines and would recommend a tech clean it up and fix it. It's worth it, to me, they are the Cadillac of machines, none better. I own 3 now and they are fabulous.

I felt I had to second Miriam's mentioning of the Bernina ThirtySomethings Yahoo group, the service manual for the 930 is there (impossible to direct link from yahoo files section for some odd reason); with lots of helpful illustrations as well as the user manual. Even when faulty this model tend to fetch quite a bit compared to other machines; and it seems that everything can be repaired when we really want to.

Backwards only? UGHH! I turned it forward quite a bit so did I cause a bigger problem? The Handwheel spring isn't on the cylinder correctly, at least I don't think it is. It's not all the way towards the back.

As for cleaning it, I did use the Bernina oil that came with it. It was still nice and clear and didn't appear to be glunky. I used a toothbrush to try and clean anything that did look like glunk but the parts inside are close together and I'm no expert by any means to start removing screws to get to something. Mostly I found lint and I have the manual the machine came with and a few youtube videos watched so I believe I cleaned it fairly good. Can I take off the bottom fairly easily to get any lint that fell down? For the most part I believe the 1st owner took extremely good care of this machine, she gave sewing classes. The second owner, not so much.

I am unable to take it to a tech at this time. I have 3 working machines that I can use for now, mainly my big beast of a Kenmore but the Bernina is sitting there taunting me. Like a kid in a candy store. I wish I would have known about the wheel only going one way. That speaks volumes about it's quality. No humming when you step on the gas lol.

If you are talking about a click noise then no. I saw a video on youtube an owner had about the noise like you describe. This is a constant noise. I tried to listen at the wheel and the motor but it was hard to tell exactly where the sound is. I guess the closest I can figure it's like a grindy dry sound. I've oiled all the moving parts (NOT any plastic parts. yay me because common sense told me not to) I may have missed something though.

I'm interested in any maintenance that handwheel spring may need. I don't know why I'm stuck on that but I can't help but think something is wrong there.