F came home last weekend because she needed contacts and her prescription had expired. She also wanted to use my sewing machine.She was happily sewing along until the $*&#* machine slipped out of time. So she took it into the shop and went back to Sacramento. I picked it up later in the week. Repair cost $10 for a part and $50 for labor!
I find this sewing machine to be very irritating. I paid $650 for it in January 2005. At that time I was in the middle of making new covers for my couch cushions, and my old 1950's era second hand Singer was just too frustrating to use. The bobbin thread would catch constantly.
So I went down to ABS and bought this Pfaff pretty much as an impulse purchase. In many ways this is a really nice machine, and it sews like a dream, but it falls out of timing way too often. I think this is at least the fifth time I've had to bring it into the shop to get the timing repaired, although this is the first time he's replaced a part. So yes, I'm really disappointed in this machine. If I ever buy another machine you can be sure it will not be a Pfaff!
Update Dec 21 2011
Well I lied. I have bought another Pfaff!!! Mine has been working well since the last repair, even w/ my daughter using it. And since she had sewing machine on her list....
I looked around at some other models and tried some out and didn't see anything I liked as well as my Pfaff. Recently I have come to realize I don't actually know yet all the tricks my Pfaff will do. I need to study up more and play around with it's capabilities.
Anyway, I ended up back at the Sew and Vac and bought an Ambition 1.0. I might have bought a lower range model, but they didn't have one. Maybe I was influenced by the name. It is a very nice model, much fancier than mine! I sort of hated to buy an electronic one, but since this is such a nifty machine, I bought it anyway. I'm looking forward to learning how to use it. ah hem. I mean, her learning how to use it. Saving this post till after Christmas since she follows my blog.
Update Jan 23 2012
Happily sewing along at a high rate of speed and my bobbin jammed. Back to the Sew and Vac and $40 spent on repair. When I picked up my machine I was given a lecture on how to oil my machine. At least once a month. Talked to F about this, and she told me her machine has torque control! She had somehow miss-threaded her machine and it stopped automatically and scolded her. She got rid of the knot, rethreaded the machine and happily resumed sewing. Don't know what sort of oiling her new machine requires, it didn't come with any oil. I encouraged her to study the manual for any info on that. Also I set my pressure foot so I can't sew that fast any more.
1 comment:
From what I read on these machines, the place that needs to be oiled by the owner is the in bobbin area called the hook.
Most of the internal parts no longer need to be oiled. I was quite surprised to learn this.
I purchase a 1524 from a so called dealer who was not a dealer. Their licenses had been revoked by Pfaff. The machine was a floor model, and I was told it was under warranty. From the get go, I had trouble with the machine and returned it. I was told that they had a no return policy on machines, and pointed to the back wall where the machine was posted. It was no where near the cash register at the time. I took the machine back, set it on the floor, and contested it with my credit card company.
I went to another dealer and bought a 1530 that was an hour away thinking my credit card company would back me up. End the end, I ended up with the 1524 and the 1530.
I did take the 1524 to a Pfaff authorized dealer where I live. This is a town about 3 hours from where I purchased the 1524. He couldn't find anything wrong with the 1524. Claimed he did the so called tune up and charged me $100.00. I did get the scoop on the shop that I bought the machine from. He told me I purchased both of these machines at a very low price. The second place I purchased the 1530 wasn't a dealer either. She had purchased the store from the man I bought the 1524 from and was liquidating stock. At least the 1530 was new in the box, but she didn't bother to tell me that she wasn't an authorized dealer either.
In the meantime, I thought I'd try to sell it. I'd get it out, and sure enough she wouldn't sew correctly.
Pfaff finally agreed to take a look at it if I paid to have it shipped to them. Everything checked out ok except the shaft you put your needle in was bent. So, the repaired the machine for nothing and sent it back to me. The regional manager was really nice and went out of her way to help me out.
Long story short, I learned that this machines are pretty much self serving. You need to oil the machine hook every 15-20 like the book says. You also need to keep the feed dog area cleaned. Every time I change my bobbin, I take the lint brush and clean the area.
Pfaff says in the manual on page 68 that the machine is maintenance free and must not otherwise be oiled. The pfaff dealer in the town I live now, told me he provided this service to the 1524, and it doesn't even need to be done. Lost another $100.00 to Pfaff dealer although it wasn't the original one.
I think I'm ready to sell the 1524. The tension dial runs about .5 degree higher than normal, but I was told every machine is different. She's going on Craigslist today.
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