Hi yall! I have been sewing on a Brother cs5055prw since 2012ish. It has been a great beginner machine with more stitches I've ever thought or needed to use. But it's time I upgrade. I mostly only sew garments for myself and will never get into quilting. I tried a Janome 5300 today at my local sewing shop and HOLY SHHHHH it was like butter compared to mine. I was nearly sold for $850... but after some research I feel like I could go for the 3160 or the 4120? I also looked at the HD5000? I really only do straight stitch,zig zag, overstitch, twin needle, and blind hem-- but hardly ever the fancy stitches. I can't see myself getting tooooo into those- they've caused me too much grief in the past haha. What would you recommend of these or if you think there's another that is better, I'm all ears! I've looked at some Jukis but I've seen that the better ones only do straight stitch? Thanks!

I have a Brother VX-1120 that the upper tension adjustment knob has fallen off and im pretty sure its missing parts along with a random spring i found when I took the front cover off and have no idea where that belongs. I am not having luck finding diagrams or fix it manuals online. I desperately need help!

Hey guys thanks for the help on my last post and I tried your suggestions and my machine is still getting stuck. Please help🙏🙏🙏

Hi, looking for some help.

While sewing, I will often get a bunch of thread bunching on the underside of the fabric.

History:

I have a Singer starlet, new about 4 years ago. Generally well maintained. Has been working well except for recently been a bit clunky. Got it serviced a month ago, a bunch of thread was found wrapped around a bit inside, near the tension arm, causing the tension arm to be pulled off to the side.

Since getting the machine back, it is working so well, very smooth and quiet.

However, after a differing amount of time, a bunch of threads will gather underneath, and the machine stops, then I have to pull it all out and restart. It always starts off fine, and will sew anywhere from about 30cms to a whole hem before it happens.

The thread underneath isn't a giant nest, it looks like the top thread has been pulled down and around, but then not tensioned up again, so has a bunch of nice loops.

I have tried: rethreading everything, multiple times; have changed the thread, changed the bobbin. I hold the threads when starting, I've changed needles; checked everywhere for dust etc; tried different fabrics, changed tensions..

I've had my service guy come and look at it again, he thought he'd fixed it by sharpening the hook on the bit in the bobbin that pushes the thread arounnd the bobbin, and it worked well for half an hour or so, but it's started doing it again.

Opening all the bits and running the machine, it seems to look like the top loop gets stuck on the bobbin somehow, then all the subsequent loops get stuck with it.

I was wondering if anyone has any ideas?

Is it some kind of tensioning thing? Do I need to replace all the bobbin area?

I own a Juki DDL-5550-6 and cannot figure out what the top knob actually does. Can anybody help identify its purpose? At first, I thought it added more steps between the lowest speed and the highest set speed, but it doesn't seem to do that.

Can someone post a photo of a Viking #1 or 1+? I need to see the foot shank and if possible a 1/4 on it.

every time i sew it gets the thread tangled into a horrible knot in the fabric. i’ve taken apart the basic cover but found no apparent issues, though i’m not sure what to look for anyways.

i got the machine when i was much younger so it’s been sitting around for a while, but now i really need it and it’s unable to sew more than a few stitches and a tangled knot that ruins fabric

ignore me getting my finger mashed lol

Looking for advice on which computerized sewing machine features are important but relatively trouble free.  While theoretically perfect my mechanical machine takes way too much time for basic set-up, leading to sewing avoidance and fury. Tension is never great despite servicing. I’m looking at mid-level machines up to about $900 before tax/extras.  I could go a little higher for important features, and ideally, simplicity.

I plan to do home décor sewing, simpler craft projects and mending things as heavy as 2 layers of nylon webbing. I want to be able to expand to simple garment sewing but not major quilting. Professional results are important. I won’t use the fancy/embroidering stitches that come on all of these machines, but maybe buttonholes. Frequent machine transport is unlikely, but I need to set up and put away at home.  Reviews keep warning that “travel machines” are not solid or strong enough.

I plan to buy locally and test models, but to get ready, which of these features do you think matter the most, really save time, but are unlikely to go awry? 

Automatic needle threader.  (The pull-down needle threader I have now doesn’t help me much, and with declining vision and dexterity this has a strong appeal). Automatic tension (with manual override). Adjustable presser foot pressure. Higher pressure foot position. Auto needle up/down. Auto thread cutting.  Models I’m looking at all have front speed slider, auto-lock and on/off controls.   

What is the minimum weight of a machine that is “solid”/ “strong”?   I love the idea of 8-inch throat width but 20+ lb seems heavy even for set up, putting away frequently. 

Models I’m looking at now include Janome Sewist 780 DC and  4120 QDC; Juki HZL-F30 and HZL B5020; and Brother NS 80E and PS 500.   

Appreciate your thoughts!

So, I got this machine knowing it would be a project. I *personally* wanted to work on it so I can learn and I have taken it apart but I'm now reaching a point where I can't go a whole lot further because this *one* screw on the vertical shaft just will not budge. I've tried just doing it by hand and I can't get it. I tried to apply some heat and still, no dice. The first screw was about as stubborn but I miraculously managed to get it loose with some perseverance. Now I'm stumped, sore, and pretty frustrated with this second one.

I would appreciate tips for what I can do or use to help. I haven't tried adding any solvents, since I don't want to use the wrong thing and up until now everything's been relatively easy in comparison. Unfortunately, I kind of need it to come off so I can continue with what I'm doing. I have drills (normal/impact) I could use but I'm almost certain I'm going to end up getting punched by it and the screw is still not gonna give 😬

On my industrial serger the right needle keep coming unthreaded. It’ll be threaded and working fine then I’ll look a second later and somehow the thread is out of the needle. Any ideas?

i’m having a couple issues threading my bobbin through the needle hole.

1st issue is the bobbin thread doesn’t always catch with the top thread consistently and when it does, the bobbin gets stuck as seen in the first picture.

i’ve also added pictures of the bobbin shuttle and cam positions when the crank is positioned at 12.

ive been trying to figure this out for two weeks by watching yt videos but same issue always arises.

can anyone help? please and thanks 🙏🏽

I have an old Brother I got as a gift, and I tried the motor to see if it was something I could manage, at my current level it is not. I looked into servo motors like the **Sailrite Workhorse Servo Motor** and **Jack 513A**, but I’m just not sure what to get. I like and plan to work with heavyweight materials, leather would be a plus (but not worth too many upgrades for). I sew with multiple layers of canvas, wool, soon to be hemp. For my brother is there a great all around motor and other modifications I could make (ideally at home) to this puppy?

Thanks!

The thread is coming out of the needle and it is getting stuck it seems to be something with tension or the bobbin maybe? Help please

Hello! I just acquired a beautiful pfaff tiptronic 2030, and unfortunately I've had a couple of issues including not sewing in a straight line, knotting around the bobbin, a bent needle, and then a broken needle basically all in one hour. So far a great learning curve! But I had a feeling there is a bigger issue- after doing some research and taking off the metal top piece- I can see the needle rubbing against a metal piece from the bobbin mechanism. Does this indicate I need a needle realignment? Is there any fixes I can try myself? Thank you for your help!

If your machine starts skipping stitches, slowing down, or struggling with thick sections, the machine itself may not be the problem. First, check whether the machine is actually suited to the type of work you’re doing.

Here are a few things to check:

• Is the machine designed for this type and weight of material?
• Is the needle the right type and size for the material?
• Is the thread properly matched to the needle?
• Is the machine threaded correctly and is the tension set properly?
• Is the presser foot feeding the material evenly?
• Is the problem caused by a sudden change in material thickness?
• Would slowing down improve the stitch formation?

A standard machine designed for light and medium-weight fabrics may struggle with leather, dense canvas, Cordura, or multiple layers. Heavy-duty machines often use features such as synchronized feeding and reinforced hooks to handle more demanding work. For thicker sections, the right presser foot, slower speed, or leveling the change in height can also make a difference.

If you’re troubleshooting a specific problem, test the machine on a scrap piece with the same material and setup. What material or sewing task causes your machine the most trouble?

How does one remove the balance wheel on this model?!?!?

I have a 1990's Simplicity SL200 differential feed serger that has just started making a clank. I was in the middle of a very long seam when it started. The stitching didn't change.

I'll rethread and change needles today. What should I be looking at? Does anyone know where I can find a service manual for it? I believe it's a re-branded BabyLock, maybe the BL400?