Red - sorry to hear about your troubles! I've had similar problems with my PC8500 - finally shut everything off, unplugged, replugged, cleaned really well - everything seemed to line up again and it worked okay!

Hope it stops acting up soon!

Well I have it shut off all day will try perhaps later tonight to finsh 1 block I don't think I can go through another night like last night!

Well I just tried it change the needle did everything all over again still doing the same thing! I just put it up!

Sorry to hear things aren't going well with your machine.
We have warnings for severe thunderstorms tonight, so I will be signing off the computer and unplugging my puter and sewing machine, so I might as well call it a night!! Later...

Dear Redpenny,
Girl I know where you are coming from I too own a PE150 and have had the same problems until I figured out the 2 reasons I nearly pulled my hair out. #1 if you are using a round shank needle and you are not inserting this up as far as it will go the alignment for the eye will not match the auto threader. #2 the thread is not feeding properly from the spool. It somehow always finds a way to snag or something.Ajusting the upper thread tension I understand has not much to do with it. So CHECK YOUR NEEDLE. Then poor another cup of whatever and carry on. I hope this helps.

You know I feel your pain too. When I get rich, I'm going to get a Viking! While you're at it, pour 2 cups of whatever & tackle it again tomorrow.

I was at an Expo recently & they were talking about missing the hidden tension when threading & also about the thread jumping out of the machine's take up lever.

I have the Bro ULT & thought something was wrong because sometimes the thread seems to come through too easy as I approach the needle threading. After their comment, I assume I sometimes miss the tension disks. I have had thread breaks but mostly with Brother threads. I use a lot of the mini spools & sometimes the thread drops to the bottom as it feeds off & tangles & breaks or breaks a needle. They stitch so fast that the least thing can interrupt in a heart beat.

You had mentioned outlines being off. My dealer is "gung ho" on stopping if the hoop is bumped, if the article gets in a bind with the moving of the hoop, if there is a bird's nest. He says check you stitch #s & turn the machine off & back on, then space fwd to your old spot. They say save the design before you stitch so it will come back up in the same place on the hoop. This is when you have done any editing.

Have you changed stabilizers to see if that is why the outlines get off? Machines can make you want to seek the closest window at times. Hope things go better when you try again.

If you are using free designs, some of the outlines and other things don't line up the way they should. Also remember, the fabric can loosen or stretch in the hoop that throws the outlines off.

What type of thread are you using that a different larger sized needle might do the trick since you are having so much difficulty threading the needle and why the thread is breaking?

You know, it seems like the smarter these machines get, the more coddling they need! It's just like cars with power-everything - just more stuff that can go wrong!

The post about inserting the needle correctly just saved me some headaches. I just experienced the same problem you have, red penny, but since I had just read this post I thought about the needle. I was in the middle of a design and everything was going fine for a while---then problems! I checked and the needle had drop very slightly---hardly detectable--but would not thread. I reached and pushed it up---it only moved a tiny bit, but this completely stopped the problem of thread breaking and not being able to thread. Maybe a whole new set of needles would solved your problem if pushing it back up does not. Maybe a bad set! Just a thought....

Redpenny, As the LAST resort (after you've followed some great advise)- take off your throat plate, examine it well with your fingers and make sure that it doesn't have any "burrs", or just for good measure, take an emory board,(the kind that has one end big and the other end small), with the small end, just "file" through and around, up and under your plate - gently. While "you're exposed" brush out the blanket that's making a home on your feed dog. If you still have a problem...BREATHE...and email me. Chris

Redpenny I hope all the advice has helped, I was about to recommend checking for "burrs" and I see that has already been posted. I am so glad that my suggestion about inserting the needle correctly has helped Munymagnet. This is a very good Forum and I Thank MARTI8A for her kind thoughts. I guess I will have to pour a 3rd cup of whatever and wish for the winning numbers in the Lotto to up grade my machine.

Well I haven't had time to go back to my embroidery machine but I am going to check the needles. These needles are the needles you are suppose to use with this machine but and I am pushing it up as far as it goes? Had a terrible migraine so I am staying away from it for a few days.Thanks for all your help I will keep you posted with the results.

when you are feeling better there are two things to check:

take a magnifier glass to the needle threader and get a sense of now it works. there is a hair thin wire that catches the thread and pulls it through the eye of the needle\; sometimes that wire gets misaligned, you can gently re-align it so it goes through the eye of the needle.

secondly, make sure your thread isn't falling down around the spool and catching, thus it pulls and breaks continually, thread nets will solve that problem. Feel better soon.
Personally I adore my PE150.

Here is a suggestion that I have found that helpe me many times.....sometimes a spool of thread may be old...and thefore is weak....try using a different spool...that usually helps for me...then I mark the spool and only use if for when the color is only a small time....especially dark colors...black is very bad about breaking when aged...and navy blue....I guess it is the dye....just a suggestion...

Well guys I changed the needle again and played around with the auto threader and changed the thread it worked okay but it was still hard to thread and Yes the needle was were it was suppose to be.I only did one design already built in the pe-150 and no I didn't change the thread colors I just wanted to see if it would embroider without the thread breaking will continue playing aroung with it! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

So sorry to hear of people's problems with their PE 150. I have had one for 5 years and actually I just finished embroidering 30 jackets for a non profit group. I experienced some of your problems early on.

Here are some solutions I found

1)My threader wasn't working and I got out the magnifier- The threader that goes through the needle was bent. I straightened it gently with tweezer and it has worked every since
2) Thread balling up in bobbin- well i bought a better grade of thread no more cheap stuff ( I use gutterman and have used coats etc all work great) the cheap stuff really did a number on the bobbins. I also have used the prewounds and find them nice. I really pay attention to make sure that the bobbin is threaded evenly- I really think that this was the trick. A few times I used the embroidery thread top and bottom for a special project- I had to keep my eye on it. I did catch it balling as well but only once.
3) Thread breaking - I found 2 problems a) the thread spool holder- it always created a problem I bought a thread stand and have not had any problems at all b) I always thread my machine and then pull the thread out about a foot to see that it glides nicely. Sometimes I notice a pull and when I rethread it is fine so I bet I did not have it through the track properly.
4) I download a lot of patterns and one was really awful I stopped the machine. It was actually the pattern!!
5) Stabilize. No short cuts and it is really worth it in the end. My t shirts were a nightmare until I learned to stabilize them properly and I also made use of the stitch density - that was the trick in heavily threaded design areas.
6) Needles- I buy good quality needles and I change them every 2 hours. Boy it really makes a difference and if you are embroidering lots you can hear the difference.

Hope this helps someone that is having trouble. Hope you can soon enjoy your machine. I am pleased and bought ped basic as well as using embird to create and recreate patterns.