Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My presser foot fell off when I touched it and the metal piece fell on top of it with the screw to the side. I don't know what it is or how to fix it. Suggestions?
The piece that came off the machine looks like it is broken and needs to be repaired. The presser foot is easy to put back on the arm. You normally just snap it back in place. The metal bar will be what the foot snaps onto when it is attached again.
Looks like something caused this piece to break. It's possible your machine was not set up correctly to sew several thicknesses (such as parts of the face masks).
Look in your manual for information on sewing several layers.
You can contact your Sears Service Center for ordering your broken part and they may also be able to help you with proper settings for sewing the face masks.
You can contact your local center from this link. You should call or check to see if they are open or just taking emails or phone calls.
You can send pictures inside email as they may not open attachments. You will need your model number (if possible or a picture of your machine. Model number should be on manual).
www.service-center-locator.com/
I have been cleaning up and oiling this vintage machine, and it was sewing pretty decently. There was still a catch somewhere, so I was pretty liberal with the oil, trying to locate where it was sticking. But after loosening off the clutch now the wheel is slipping and not turning consistently. It stops, I turn the wheel by hand to get it going, and then it stops again. I wondered if getting oil on the belts might be a problem, so I cleaned those, but that didn't help. Can anyone help me understand why this might be happening?
Thank you!
This is the incident of a little to much oil. It is making your belt, shimmy and vibrate causing your machine to slip/spin without connection. Perhaps you could clean it up a little.
When a sewing machine is sticking and not sewing correctly it is not the belt or the motor that is the issue. The issue is in the bobbin case and getting it all cleaned out and oiled correctly. Adding oil all over the machine is bad for the machine and will cause the issues you are experiencing now. You are going to need to really clean up the mess and get rid of as much oil as you possibly can. Then open the bobbin on the machine and remove the casing. Do a really deep cleaning in here and get rid of all the dust and buildup that is in this area.
Clean the oil off the belt as well as the motor shaft and where the belt goes on your hand wheel. Also remove any thread or lint on those same spots. Once you have it all cleaned, it should be okay.
I have a really old Kenmore sewing machine and I have it all threaded right. But when I went to start sewing, I noticed that it was set to bobbin winding.
I tried to change it but it won't let me. No matter what I try and set it to, it just beeps at me.
The spool pin on my Kenmore 24-stitch (I think it might be a 385, though I'm not sure) fell into the machine. I can't use the machine without thread, and I can't use the thread without the spool pin. How do I go about getting it out?
By Kelly M.
I'm afraid there is no safe way for you to use the machine until that spool pin is fetched out of the machine, and there is no safe way for you to remove it at home - you need to take your machine to a qualified sewing machine repair tech, the retrieval will cost you around £20GBP or $30+USD. Splash out for a servicing which will jump the price to mid-high double digits but is well worth it to keep your machine running well, and to inspect for any damage the dropping pin may have caused.
If the machine is under warranty you need to use the Sears authorised repair service techs - either telephone your local Sears, use the 'Net to find their local-to-you service centre, or carefully check all adverts for wording indicating the tech is an authorised service provider or you will void your warranty.
I have been using my great-grandmother's sewing machine for years, and it is just now giving me a problem. When I begin sewing by pushing the foot pedal, it will sometimes start and it will sometimes not. If it does, I have to have the pedal to the floor to keep it going, so I can only sew very fast. If I let it slow down, the machine gets stuck.
When it is stuck, turning the hand wheel toward me while pushing the foot pedal gets it going again. When I turn the hand wheel or when it does stop on me, it is always stiff or stuck in the same spot in its rotation. Every time I push the pedal, the motor does run, but I can't always get the needle to move.I have tried everything from cleaning it, disassembling what I can to check for problems, oiling it, and more. Am I most likely looking at a problem with the foot pedal, the motor, an internal belt or gear, or a timing issue?
By Jessica B.
It does sound like a problem with the foot pedal (timing problems usually show up as the needle hitting the plate or bobbin-you'll hear a little clunk every time the needle goes down into the bobbin area).
It could be as simple as a worn wire in the pedal, or it could be something more serious. You can try opening the foot pedal housing and giving the interior a look over-take clear photos first and be sure to check the photos before you disassemble anything-you may see the trouble straight off.
If you can't see any obvious problems, put the housing back on, check the voltage (should be printed on the bottom of the pedal), and try a different foot pedal in the same voltage to see if that sorts the problem. Foot pedals do go bad over time so that may be the problem.
You can find a replacement either at the Sears parts site:
searspartsdirect.com
You can also check eBay for vintage Kenmore parts.
There is a pressure plate right below the knob that u twist to unlock to wind your bobbin, this is your problem. U can get more life out of your machine without spending money. That that small plate and slighly bend it so it won't sit on there flush and it will work. I spent 285 $ fo get mine fixed
The presser foot on my Kenmore 385 19157100 sewing machine won't go up or down. The lever moves, but the foot does not budge. Does anyone know how to repair this?
If the lever is moving and he foot still stays in the same position then it means that it is not attached to the arm correctly. There is a screw at the back of the arm. Take off the screw and check the foot. On some machines you can change the foot around so check to see if the foot is on the arm correctly.
I recently acquired a vintage Kenmore sewing machine, model 1251. It looks like new, and hasn't been used much. I cleaned and oiled it, and it sews like a dream! However, the clutch knob is stuck, so I can't disengage the needle arm for winding bobbins.
Even when loosening the screw on the knob, it won't budge. Please help! Thanks!
I just found a beautiful Kenmore 158.523 machine, but the button on the machine bed will not turn to lower the feed dogs. Any idea how I can get this to turn?
The stitch selector dial of my Kenmore sewing machine 15358 will not turn in any direction. Kindly help.
Bought a Kenmore 385.16324 sewing machine new 16 yrs ago. It has been a work horse. I use it all the time. The tension is now a problem, see photos: #1 is top and #2 is bottom. I have cleaned the bobbin case, feed dogs, replaced the needle, rethreaded it numerous times, and worked on tension settings after each sample row.
I am still getting the weird stitches on the back side. Any suggestion what to do next?
I have an old Kenmore and this happens to me all the time.
My troubleshooting steps are to:
1. Clean out the bobbin casing--my machine is a dust magnet and I take an old toothbrush and work away from the machine to clean it all out.
2. Does your machine have a screw in the casing for the bobbin? Mine does and if I play with that screw tension, usually it is too loose, then it fixes the tension issue
3. make sure my thread is new. I have a huge collection of thread and if I use an old thread, that is usually the first reason I get this issue. Sometimes it works if I use a different thread for the bobbin and the old thread for the top, but sometimes that makes the top stitches wonky.
4. If the thread is new, I will unwind the thread on to a new spool so not to waste it and unthread and rewind a new bobbin...preferably with new thread...but sometimes a slow rewind with the old thread (a second try) fixes the problem.
Post back how it goes!
I'm trying to learn how to sew with my mom's Kenmore Ultra-Stitch 8 sewing machine. The first step was to set it up. However, the upper tension thread control knob/device is not attached to the machine and I cannot figure out how to reattach it.
I have the manual, but it doesn't provide any info on this. Can anyone walk me through how to fix this?
So when was the last time your mom used it? Did it really come unattached? I am really suspicious of this as I have never seen a sewing machine that needed pre-assembly, or that the knobs were just taken off, unless it was easy/obvious how to put it back on. Especially if the manual does not provide the info
it is possible that this machine needs servicing because the knob broke off. If I were you I'd save myself some time and frustration and go to a machine repairman.
From what I am seeing there was a problem with the tension control on the machine and someone took it apart to buy a new one. I believe all the parts are not there and this is why you can't put it back together. You will need to order the new parts and it will be a lot easier to assemble this one you have them.
The stitch selection knob on this will not move. I bought it at a thrift store; it looks great. It is a Kenmore, model 158-1792.
If the stitch knob is not working this normally is a spring that has broken so it can not change. You may need to order a new assembly and install this on your machine. Even if it loos great the assembly can be broken and not work correctly.
Kenmore is a Sears brand machine but it will be another brand as Kenmore is only a 'badged' name for another brand.
I'm only pointing this out because you may have other problems in the future and it will help to know the true brand of your machine so you can look for assistance or parts from Kenmore and also the 'real' brand name.
I have found the best place to start asking questions about a Kenmore product is a Sears Service Center. You can generally find a local Sears Service Center on Google using your zip code.
Take your machine to them and ask about a part. They will look at your machine and tell you what part you need but more importantly they can tell you the brand and year it was made.
Just tell them you wish to repair it yourself and would like to order the part (if one is needed) unless you decide to let them service it for you.
You will need a manual if one did not come with the machine so ask about a manual also as I did not see a free manual for your machine (although some free ones were shown but do not print well/clear when 'free'). I did find this one - very cheap: Look for your model on this page:
www.kenmoresewingmanuals.com/
I did find some interesting information from a service tech about 'locked' selection knobs:
"Machines can freeze up from sitting unused for long periods...such as what your sewing machine does. What happens is that sewing machine oil inside the machine...and possibly mingled with lint/dust...becomes glue like and freezes up moving parts."
"If its frozen up...some have had success with warming up the sewing machine with a hair dryer set on medium...not cool but not too hot. But it takes about 20 minutes of warming to get things loose. Before sewing with it...clean it out in the areas that you can get to easily as indicated in its manual...and oil the two points the manual says to oil.
Only add one or two...not more than two tiny drops of FRESH SEWING MACHINE OIL...to that wad...wipe off any excess/drips from the bottom of the bobbin case. If you have very old sewing machine oil...please buy a small fresh bottle at Joanns or Walmart...etc.
DO NOT use anything other than sewing machine oil. NOT household 3 in 1 nor WD40...nor anything like that. Just oil for sewing machines which looks crystal clear and light."
I'm looking for suggestions. I have a Kenmore 385.16231301 The machine and light turn on, when I press the petal you can hear the engine run, but the needle doesn't go up and down.
I was gifted this sewing machine a week ago by a neighbor who maybe never used it. I am brand new to using a sewing machine and was able to figure out most things, but I cannot for the life of me figure out where the reverse option is.
Can anyone help? My neighbor did not have the manual.
This sewing machine is Model #1370 - 158.13170 and it was made in 1972-7973.
It is very difficult to obtain a free manual (or even a paid manual) but you will surely need one.
You can try these sites - you'll have to look for 158-1317.One site had a manual #1581318 and it looks like the same machine but if you go to one of the forums you can ask them before buying it.
www.tias.com/
www.kenmoresewingmanuals.com/
You will also need to join a sewing group so you can ask questions in the future. There are several with forums and nice people answer your questions.
sewing.patternreview.com/
www.threadsmagazine.com/
I have a Sears Kenmore 1410 and the stitch selector knobs are frozen. Is there a way I can fix that myself?
When changing the stitch selection on your sewing machine your needle needs to be in the up position. If you are still having issues the knob is jammed and needs servicing. You can take this to your local Sears store for repair.
Try to oil the machine. If that doesn't work you could have a broken lever or gear and will need it serviced.
I would like to try to open up and clean the upper tension discs on my Kenmore 52 model 158.523 but cannot budge the center of this dial (in photo). I believe these red handled tools were original with the machine so I'm wondering why they don't even fit into this part to loosen it.
Is there another tool I'm missing? How does it come apart?
Is it even a good idea for me to open it up as I am a beginner with this machine? Thanks for any input you may have.
My Kenmore model 52 sewing machine does not feed forward, only in reverse. The grips below the presser foot move, but don't "rotate" when feeding forward, but do correctly "rotate" when backstitching.
It is not the pressure on the presser foot. I have adjusted it, and no change. I looked underneath, and nothing apparent seems to present itself.This is an engagement problem in the feeder of the machine. The machine seems to be stuck in reverse and will no longer go forward. There could be an issue with your belt or a blockage in the area that will not allow the foot to engage correctly.
