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Is your sewing machine broken or giving you troubles? I’m sorry — I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit. Sewing machine problems are a pain!
You might be able to get your sewing machine repaired, but before you schedule a service appointment, think about if it’s worth the cost. The choice isn’t always simple. Here are four questions you can ask yourself to help you decide whether to repair your sewing machine or not.
Will the Repairs Cost More than Buying a New Sewing Machine?
Before you take your sewing machine to a repair technician, find out how much a service appointment will cost. $50 to $75 is the average. Then, you’ll also have to pay for any replacement parts that your sewing machine needs. That means taking an inexpensive sewing machine in for repairs might not be worth the effort.
Think about how much money you spent on your sewing machine in the first place. If it cost less than $200, you might save yourself money by just buying another inexpensive machine. Obviously if you spent more money, getting your sewing machine repaired might be the smarter choice.
Sewing machines come in a wide range of prices. You can get a basic, beginner sewing machine for under $200, but you can also spend over $15,000 for a top-brand sewing/embroidery machine combo.
Is Your Sewing Machine Broken Beyond Repair?
Not all broken sewing machines can be repaired. For example, it’s hard to find a replacement motor for vintage machines and many sewing machine parts are no longer made. Depending on what is broken on your sewing machine, you could be out of luck.
Sewing machine repair technicians are typically able to fix things like snapped spool holders and worn out belts, but have a harder time finding missing gears and repairing software. It might not be worth the cost to take your sewing machine in for repairs depending on what is broken.
Let me tell you a sad story…
Before I converted my laundry room into my sewing room, I had to set my sewing machine up on the dining table or on a table in our office anytime I wanted to work on a sewing project. I had my sewing machine out one day but had to step away for a quick potty break. While I was gone, my son accidentally pulled my sewing machine off the table. The cord got stuck in the wheels of a swivel chair he wanted to push. As you can imagine, that was a sad day. The entire plastic frame on my sewing machine around the thread take-up lever broke off and the spool holder also broke. Other mechanical parts were also forced out of alignment. I ultimately decided that sewing machine wasn’t worth repairing because it was just too broken.
Are You Ready for an Upgrade?
As I already mentioned, sewing machines come in a wide range of prices and features. There are some pretty cool sewing machines available today! Is there anything that you wish your sewing machine could do that it cannot? If so, maybe it’s better to upgrade to a better sewing machine instead of getting your old one repaired.
That’s what I did…
When my sewing machine got broken, I took it as the perfect opportunity to get an upgrade. I had been using the Brother SE400 for a couple of years and I liked it. However, it always bugged me that the embroidery unit could only support a 4”x4” hoop. I upgraded to the Bernette b79 because it has a 6”x10” embroidery hoop. I couldn’t be happier! The Bernette b79 really hits it out of the park in terms of features for me. It has a built-in walking foot, an automatic needle threader, 100s of stitches, a presser foot knee lift lever, and a button that literally ties a knot in your thread.
Can You Fix the Sewing Machine Yourself?
As a last note, depending on the problem, you might be able to fix your sewing machine yourself. It would be sad if you took your sewing machine in for repairs only to find out it was a simple problem with an easy solution.
That’s why I wrote a sewing machine troubleshooting book. It can help you solve most of the more common sewing machine problems. For example, it has several suggestions on what you can do if your needle keeps breaking, your sewing machine keeps getting jammed, or your sewing machine won’t turn on. I can’t guarantee it will solve any problem you encounter, but at $2.99, it could save you a ton of money on sewing machine repairs.
I sell my book, Sewing Machine Problems and How to Solve Them, on Amazon. You can also visit my sewing machine troubleshooting page for more information.
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It was mentioned that it is important to make sure the cost of the repair isn’t more than the machine is worth. My mother has a vintage sewing machine that use to work like a gem. I will have to let her know to keep track of the cost to see if it is worth fixing.
It’s nice that you talked about how sewing machine repair technicians are typically able to fix things like snapped spool holders and worn-out belts. My mother wants to use our old sewing machine, however, it seems to be broken right now. It would be a waste to just give up on the sewing machine, so we should probably ask an expert to look into it.