[quote=DollyRose]That's Chloe, a rescue pup. She was found in a garbage bag in an alley. She has a very LOUD voice... prior to canned air, I used a syringe bulb to blow out the lint. Never heard canned air was a no-no. Why?

She sure is cute ! How mean to put her in a garbage bag . This could start a whole new thread !
Back to the machine , I use a tiny eyeglass screw driver to get " stuff [technical term ] between my feeddogs . The rest I use tweezers . It seems to me that canned air has moisture to it . That causes rust . Be careful Annie

:D

We know the same thing . Cute " baby " too . We have a big dog . german shepherd / border collie mix . Big baby , spoiled rotten [ don't know how that happened

:roll: Annie

I have 2 singer machines. They are about 10 yrs old and I've never had a problem with them. They were bought at Walmart.

Please don't use canned air on your machine - it will just blow the dust back INTO the machine's mechanism and cause more problems. Use a long handled soft bristled paint brush to brush away as much as you can, and take the machine to your dealer for a full cleaning once a year. You can use the canned air on the bobbin case if it's out of the machine.

You're lucky then ! What kind do you have ? I guess he picked the wrong one ! I have a singer sew simple . Annie

It has nothing to do with price.....sometimes you just don't like it. Lemons come from everywhere and have many names .....we get what we like and can afford.... A talented quilter can produce the best of quilts on a low end machine..all you need is a straight stitch the rest is extra stuff :-D :thumbup: ;)

I know how you feel. I had a Signature, made by Montgomery Ward, 25 years ago and had a similar problem with it. Finally traded it in. My Mom's Signature is 47 years old and it still works. I have a singer I bought in 1971 and I'll never get rid of it, though it weighs a ton.
I think the best advice you've been given so far is to go to your goodwill or thrift store. Alot of times they have old/older machines that work great and some are in cabinets. Be sure to check that all the parts are there and in working order. Ask if they will let you plug it in to see if it works.
Good luck!
~Deb~

Sounds like your trying all the right things. Two more to check is 1) the tension in the bobbin case -try pulling the thread through the case if it comes out fast its too loose if it is hard to pull out its too tight. My Pfaff book says you should be to hold thread and drop case (like a yo-yo)and it should unwind a little. 2) check to make sure the spot on the bobbin case where the thread goes through is not bent, I bent one years ago and it caused all sorts of issues (thread nests, skipped stitches) until I figured it out and "bent" it back towards the bobbin.
I probably wouldn't spend $85 to have someone look at it but put my $85 towards a newer machine from a sewing store (LQS, JoAnn's, Hancocks, etc. and would make them let me test it first

I was so hoping to hear that the company was going to take care of you!!!
Have you tried to take the cover off of the head and see if there are any thread/lint caught in your tension discs? Since they keep saying it is a tension issue?

Amma , I just got another e-mail from them . I have to pay to have it fixed ! No way . I have the older singer that will only straight stitch that I;m using . It needs some work but will have to wait .
I will be checking the goodwill store for older machines . I am going to try something . Someone mentioned the bobbin case might be defective . I have a couple I kept from old machines I threw away . I will check and see if 1 will fit my machine . I hope 1 of them will . I did check and a bobbin case isn't that expensive . I think it is $12.95 plus shipping . Well need to get back to my sewing . Happy stitching all . Annie