purplefiend

Does anyone have a Pfaff QE 4.2 that constantly breaks the top thread, tension issues when FMQ?
I bought the Pfaff 4.2, new 0n 09/2014, it seems to be in the machine hospital more than it is with me. I'm beginning to think I have a lemon.
I put the this machine in "time out" after struggling with it for 3 days now, a bonfire funeral for this machine is sounding like wonderful idea.
I thought it was the thread that was causing the problem, the Bernina 1031 is using the same thread top and bottom and I have zero thread breaking issues. I knew there was a good reason to keep the 1031!
Thanks,
Sharon in Texas

craftychick

I have an Expression 2.0 and a couple months ago I decided I was going to try and do meandering for the first time. Well...I can't believe I still have my mind. My top thread kept breaking and breaking. After paying more attention to when the thread was actually breaking, I found that my machine doesn't like meandering sideways. It does not like to sew sideways. I didn't have this problem when "practicing" on scraps of course. I don't know why it happened but it continues to piece just fine. Next time I'm going to try FMQ on my sewing/embroidery machine. Good luck.

purplefiend

Here's the link to the panel I was quilting. http://tinyurl.com/yagn6kos I make charity quilts for in-need children, its fun to make a quilt that just needs to be quilted.
I am so happy that someone answered my question. My Expression 4.2 sews just fine, it just doesn't like FMQ...that's what I bought it for after all and its geared toward quilters, it has that nice 10" throat space.

The repair tech just doesn't understand why I'm having so much trouble, course he's not a quilter. I hope to get this problem sorted out soon.
Sharon
p.s. Not sure why part of this message is in bold type.

rvsfan

I have a Pfaff 4.2 Quilt Expression and machine constantly shredded and broke upper thread . This happened when I was using Sensormatic . In repair shop several times . Never did get it fixed . Finally , Pfaff replaced it with a new machine . It was only about 14 months old .

cashs_mom

Have you tried all the normal things like loosening the tension? I know my Berninas seemed to have the top tension set really right from the factory. Some threads don't seem to like it and broke. I loosened the tension way down to almost 0 in some cases and everything was fine.

Stitchnripper

After thread breakage on my PQ1500 I also realized it didn't like to go in a certain direction and if I avoided that direction mostly it was okay. Ron Appell in Man Sewing on You Tube has a great video on thread breakage in relation to the needle/hook. Makes good sense. I'd put the link here, but, then the thread would get moved, so just go to Youtube and google it. It might help you too.

suern3

My 4.2 needs to have the thread in the horizontal position for FMQ. I only use Aurifil thread, so don't know what other brands would do. If the thread is in the upright position, it just hangs up. Good luck.

purplefiend

Hello Everyone,
Thank you for all of your suggestions, its comforting to learn that I'm not the only one having problems with this Pfaff model.
I was using the Sensormatic foot when I was FMQ, thread was breaking constantly. I wonder if the spring darning foot would have been a better choice?
I lowered the top tension to 4.6(any less and it was looping on the bottom), pivot @ -2. I finally changed the needle to a 80/12 top stitch. I used various cotton threads: Gutterman,Aurifil,King Tut,Robison-Anton and Mettler; it just depended what color the thread was to match various places in the quilt panel. I put them on the machine horizontally & tried the cone thread stand.
Before I bought the Pfaff 4.2 QE, I had the Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 875, very similar machine; many of the same functions and settings & some of the same headaches with FMQ.
After my dealer returns from Brother training, the machine will go back in for repair again. Thankfully I have back up machines that know how to behave when FMQ, wish they had the throat space that the Pfaff does.
Sharon in Texas