Bernina 830 thread tension

[Lotti D.]

I do hope you get a good solution Janet.
I've only had my 830 for a little over a month and am almost totally happy...
It made some rather unhealthy noises on Sunday evening. I had destroyed a needle a week or so earlier - ended up practically shattered - so I think there's a tiny piece of that needle somewhere it shouldn't be... And I just can't find it - so I thought I better have he technician look for it. Also told them of some tension problems I've been having.

Tuesday evening they called me because of the threads I've been using, here in Switzerland there are not that many quilters, and most of them use the regular mettler threads. The berninas here are all calibrated to that oh so popular thread for sewing... Generally they know of three types of machine threads: mettler or similar brand standard thread, then again the mettler or similar brand embroidery thread, and the serger threads...

I use almost the complete range of the superior threads, bottom line for piecing and quilting when I don't want it to show, masterpiece, king tut, the rainbows, the Ricky Tim's art... Etc. etc. most of these threads, our technicians have never even heard of... So yesterday I brought them a bag of my thread selection, a cone of each type of thread, the bobbins to go with them, the rewound bobbin donuts so they can check these out too, now they're busy playing, trying to figure out what the best calibration would be for me... My main fear is that they have so much fun with these threads that they'll get addicted to them and won't give me back my machine until they're done playing...

I hope that I'll get to use my last instruction course voucher for a course with the technician to teach me how to play with both top and bobbin tensions (here the order is that we do NOT, EVER, make changes to the bobbin tension... With my threads that will have to change and I think they're almost on to my point of view.
I must say that I'm very happy with my bernina shop, I seem to throw them some challenges, but they are doing their very best to meet these.

[Lotti D.]

Thank you. I should have known better. My 180E was a nightmare but I thought it was a lemon and it wouldn't happen again. Boy! Was I wrong! This machine does not have 1 or 2 problems, it has every problem imaginable and a lot you couldn't even imagine. I absolutely hate it. I have been sewing for 35 years and I am very computer savy, as well. It is not me. But how often can I bring it in, it's not portable and then it's tied up for weeks waiting for Bernina to send the part. I'm going to try to trade it in or something after Christmas. I paid $10,000 for it and I can't aford to take a loss.

[Teri L.]

Janet talk to you dealer and make them send it back to Bernina!

[Norma H.]

i have just described in another thread how I got my 830 a week ago and will not repeat here. I'm so sorry that you have this experience with the machine.
When I went to the dealer to try the machine, I brought all the most difficult threads I could find, metallic, Madeira's polyneon as the worst. I had MasterPiece, Bobbin Line, King Tut and a few others. The dealer had never seen them before, but we worked with both the upper and lower tensions and got them to sew beautifully.
I think I'm lucky with this dealer, we matched each other very well and he knew a lot about how to handle the machine. He showed me how to and then let me do the things so we could see where I didn't get it the first time around. When I walked out the door I knew I could handle it.
I have now started a new notebook to write down the tensions for my mostly used threads and seams, so I don't have to invent it every time.

Lotti, I think your dealer is lucky to have you to educate them. I'm sure they appreciate it and that it will benefit you if not before then when you get your machine back :lol:

[ANNE E.]

I have a Janome 6600 and it loves Madeira's Polyneon, Robison Anton and most other threads, you just have to practise with the tension.
Every time I sit down to sew I practise on a scrap of fabric first, that's not to say I don't have problems but at least it's on a scrap not on my quilt.
Anne

[Lotti D.]

Just went to pick up Bernie, and had a short additional user lesson. Seems to sew fine now, no more missed stitches, no noises that shouldn't be, yeah...
Next week I'm going back for an in-depth lesson in bobbin tension setting!
One major thing I learned is that this machine can require much more oiling than others... I'm not to wait for the need oil signal, but to oil the bobbin when I start to hear a difference, she said that with the amount and types of materials and threads I sew, it can be that I might have to oil again after only about three hours of sewing... No wonder poor Bernie complained last weekend!
Listen to Bernie when he's not happy, check and change needles often, oil often, and have fun!
I plan to, it's Friday night, it's a snowy chaos out there, tomorrow's a holiday so many shops closed, I don't plan to leave the house again until Monday morning!

[ANNE E.]

Have a lovely warm weekend Lotti.
More cold weather forecast for UK. I hate the winter but it won't be long before the shortest day and then we start going forward to spring
my favourite time of year.
Anne

[Jo B.]

I have an 820 and love it BUT she's a thoroughbred! High Maintenance for sure. My dealer told me to vacuum and oil after each use.

[Valerie G.]

Janet, I am so sorry you have had so much trouble with your 830. I also have a 180 and it is a great machine and I still use it. I have had both computer boards replaced on my machine and the LCD screen. I hope you can get another machine you love. I would definitely try a different dealer. My dealer has an amazing technician whom Bernina calls when they have a problem that needs working on. He knew that the old boards had problems and just replaced them. The only problem I had was a wiggling screen in the tutorials. But all those things were replaced for me anyway.

I have also had a viking and a Janome. Neither were completely without their own issues. Each machine has it's strength. I hope you find one you love.

[Claire C.]

I'm with Janet. I bought my 820 a couple of years ago on an impulse and have been kicking myself ever since. I've had all the same problems Janet mentions! The damned thing now sits in its box and every once in awhile I stub my toe on it. I went back to using my 440 and try not to look at that white elephant in the corner. :evil:

[Betty J.]

I find all the problems people report on the 830 and 820 truly distressing because I have found mine to be so wonderful. It just seems sad. It is true that the machine needs cleaning and oiling more often and the tensions need to be adjusted for every project, but when it works right it will do things no other machine I have ever had will do and I have been sewing for more than 50 years. It sounds to me like the biggest problem that Bernina has now are the local service personnel. I have a wonderful Bernina rep here, which may have a lot to do with how happy I am with the machine.

I haven't had to take it to the shop since I bought it except the one time early on when I had to learn I wasn't threading it right. I found I just have to make sure that threading button is on before pulling the thread across the top and down into the threading path. Once I did that, and made sure to punch the button for threading even when I manually thread it, all my problems I had been having (that sound very similar to some of the problems described here) disappeared. I hope you can all get them fixed rather than abandon these potentially wonderful machines.

[Jeannine K.]

You may want to try a smaller needle size. Usually when I am quilting with my 830 I try to use the same type thread both top and bottom, but at times have to take the top tension down to 1.50 or 1.75. Under normal circumstances though, no adjustment is needed. When I do have problems, re threading solves it, sometimes the top thread is not seated in the tension discs. Hope this will give you some options to try. I also belong to a Bernina 8 series Yahoo group which has lots of good info and help, you can get a daily digest of posts and there are lots of helpful files on the list.

Jeannine

[Norma H.]

I, too, am so sorry to hear that some of you hate this machine. I have had my 830 for two months now and I truly love it. You have to pay attention to tension with every new project, but once it's there it sews like a dream.
I went to my dealer for service on my 440 the other day and told him about the problems some people have. His short answer was: they have not been educated well enough. That is needed to get a happy customer especially with this machine.
When I bought mine and asked him how long the instruction would take he said: you are not leaving this shop until you can manage the machine.
It's such a pity that not all are in love with their machine. This machine is truly the best I have ever had.

[Norma H.]

Haul that naughty 820 out of the box and back to the dealer to get fixed!!! My 820 has been fun, fabulous, and trouble-free since July 2011. Yours should be too. Whatever is wrong with it can be fixed. Too much of your hard-earned money to be wasted. Or trade-it in on a 7 series or something. You deserve value for your money.

[Betty J.]

Haul that naughty 820 out of the box and back to the dealer to get fixed!!! My 820 has been fun, fabulous, and trouble-free since July 2011. Yours should be too. Whatever is wrong with it can be fixed. Too much of your hard-earned money to be wasted. Or trade-it in on a 7 series or something. You deserve value for your money.

I absolutely agree with this. The 8 series is a wonderful series. There may be some that weren't, but get those fixed or traded.