Tension problem & I just got it out of the shop - PE150

19 years ago

I don't use my embroidery machine a lot, but used it at the end of August to monogram something & it was fine. Used it again a couple of weeks ago & it did the picture designs fine, but with letters, the bobbin thread was coming to the top. I adjusted the tension per the book & no matter how much I lowered it, it did exactly the same thing.

I called the sewing machine store where I bought it & the guy there said there could be a thread under the bobbin that I couldn't get to. So I took it in & the guy said he would call with an estimate when he looked at it. He called & said he didn't see anything so it probably needed servicing where they take it apart, clean it & all that. I told him it probably didn't really need servicing because it only had 10-12 hours use on it. But he said that's all it could be. So, ok I said.

He called when it was done (about an hour later) and said since it didn't have much use on it, he would only charge me 1/2 of the regular service fee of $75. I picked it up & it had a piece of material in it where they had done a design & a word in light green thread. When I got home I looked closely at the word, I thought I could see the white bobbin thread on the edges. So I got my magnifying glass out & it wasn't bad, but it was there. So I got out navy blue thread & did the same cursive font I tried to do when it was messing up, and it was still messing up. Any suggestions before I take it back in again?

Comments (9)

redpenny
19 years ago
Marti,
what wt of embroidery thread are you using in the bobbin,I have pe-150 and if you dont use 50wt thread it always gives me problems.also your needle size is it the coreect size for your material.I would take it back to wear you had it service also and get my money back!I keep my tension between 4 and 5 try that and see if it works,also what kind of thread are you using?
TxMarti
Original Author
19 years ago
Well, I don't know what the wt of the bobbin thread is, but it's the Brother prefilled bobbins they sold me. lol And the thread I use is mostly Robison Anton poly that I also buy there. I have broken some needles thanks to the thread getting hung on the back of the spool holder so I'll get them to check that.
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joansews4u
19 years ago
Marti, I have been advised against using prefilled bobbins by my Brother dealer because they wear at the high speeds. It results in paper/cardboard fuzz clogging the delicate functions of the moving parts in the bobbin area. May be fact or fiction, but I didn't want to risk it so I didn't even use some that came with a Starter thread kit.

My machine is underground & we run humidifers to prevent problems. They cut off automatically when the bucket gets full, which can be daily at times. If I happen not to go downstairs for some reason & see that they are full, that fuzz in high humidity could set up like paper mache in my machine.

I was wondering if that might be your problem if windows are possibly open & a/c not being used as much this time of the year.

That area is frequently cooler than the rest of the house in the winter. My LCD screen is very dim when I first turn my machine on. So I know enviornment can be a factor with them.
redpenny
19 years ago
Marti, the problem may be the thread you are using and the thread in the bobbin.I don't like poly thread I use rayon or cotton embroidery thread.I bought some brothers embroidery thread and almost went bald using it the thread kept breaking and it was so disgusting I sat down and cried.
I would go back and talk with that service man.I would see if I could get my money back!
msmeow
19 years ago
Marti - if their test stitching from the shop did the same thing, it sounds to me like a problem with the machine that didn't get fixed during whatever they do that they call "servicing"...is it still under warranty? You could check with the repairman and see what weight top and bobbin thread they stitched with. I have not used the prewound bobbins, but the Brother brand of embroidery bobbin thread is a 60 wt. polyester - very, very fine thread.

Is the font one that is built into the machine, or one you downloaded from somewhere? Maybe it's just not digitized very well.
TxMarti
Original Author
19 years ago
msmeow, it was a Brother card of fonts I bought & have never had problems with before.
msmeow
19 years ago
I'd have the shop check it out again!
TxMarti
Original Author
19 years ago
Well, I just wasted the morning (or at least 2 hours of it) taking the machine back. The guy said it is normal to have the bobbin thread occasionally show through on letters, especially script letters & that I should use a dark bobbin thread when I do words. He said it wasn't the needle & the bobbin tension was set as tight as it should be. Has anyone else noticed that with script lettering?
stitchntime9
19 years ago
Embroidery machines are like sewing machines....if the top tension is too tight, it pulls the bobbin thread up. Try loosening the top tension a bit or use a bit thicker stabilizer on the bottom.