bearisgray

I find these posts interesting - the ones that say "My machine will only perform properly if I'm using _______ thread."

From that, I can draw several conclusions:

The finicky machines could be PIDA's and more bother than they are worth to fight with them
or
The user/operator is very finicky and/or doesn't know how to operate the machine properly
or
Some of the unfinicky machines are better choices for some of us.

But if machine, thread, and operator are 'good to go' - life is good on that planet at that moment.


There actually are some threads that I avoid using for anything other than overcasting a raw edge before washing the fabric - and even for that purpose, I try to use a lighter colored thread than whatever color the fabric is.

PS: Some thread(s) probably are better than other threads - I just think that a finicky sewing machine would be frustrating!

thepolyparrot

I think so, too. A machine uses whatever I put into it, or I'll find out what's "off" and make it work.

Of course, I don't try to use hand-quilting thread or rope in the needle - there are some things that a domestic sewing machine will not do.

But lots of times, I see people saying that their machine won't take anything but "X" brand of thread and I would take that as a challenge. I would want to tinker around and figure out how to make it take the kind of thread they want to use. Usually it's only a matter of changing the needle and/or balancing the tensions.

If I ran across a lot of reviews for a machine that said, "You can only use X brand" in this machine, I just wouldn't buy it.

I see this a LOT with longarm machines - and as much as you pay for a longarm, that machine better sew whatever you give it to sew!

ckcowl

when i first purchased my Viking the dealer told me to NEVER try to use Coats & Clark thread in it- NEVER-EVER!!!
told horror stories- said it would mess up the machine, said it simply would not accept it-
for the first year i did not use any c&c thread- then one day came along- i needed to use a c&c thread- it was what i had in the color/weight i needed- and i threaded it- quaking with fear of doing damage to this horribly expensive machine...
it sewed just fine- nothing happened- no alarms went off- the thread did not break, knot, cause any problems...
took me awhile but i finally figured out- they just wanted to sell the expensive thread they were selling- (some of which i find to be garbage!)
so, anyhow-
i no longer think of my machine as (finicky)
that being said- the long arm is a bit more finicky---some threads just do not handle the high-speed action of that machine...so that's a whole different issue.

BellaBoo

Most machine owners go by what the dealer tells them. I don't think the brand matters as much as using the right size needle for the wt and ply of the thread. Not many know the ply of the thread they are using so the needle will fight with the thread thus the 'machine' doesn't like that brand of thread.

Lori S

If a dealer told me that a machine was finiky and had preference for a particular thread ... I would not buy the machine. I have two machines , a Singer 306W and a Viking... Niether would not be in my house if they were fussy. I use everything from cheap serger thread , invisable thread, metalic , you name it I run it threw my machines. None have suffered .
I do have quite an inventory of various needles , as mentioned most issues can be resolved with the right needle or thread path. Keeping a good cleaning schedule ( for lint issues) is important if the thread is linty.

miss_ticky2

I put pretty much anything I have in my thread collection on my 7700 and haven't had a problem. Except when I tried to FMQ with a Sulky No.12 cotton which kept breaking...I changed to a 30 and it was fine.

romanojg

I had a singer for 25 yrs and now my daughter owns it, I have a Kenmore/Janome and a Viking Ruby and a Mega quilter. The only thing the Viking dealer told me is that Viking recommends the Aurifil in the mega quilter but I was never discouraged from using any thread. I've used them all and even more so now that I'm into embroidery. I had one issue embroidering w/serger thread and researched until I found a possible problem and that fixed that. For what I was doing I had to double up on the stabilizer and go up in the needle size; no more thread breakage. I've had a spool of thread that I'd used before all of sudden act up; I take if from the top of my machine and put it in a coffee cup and it's very happy. I don't have any threads that my machine doesn't take and take well. I do think some times you might have to figure out a better position or needles or something to make it work but I've never failed but truth be told, I've had very little trouble with any threads in any of my machines. I agree, who would want a machine if you had to only use one thread; what happens is that co goes out of business. Life is too short to have a machine spazing over something as simple as thread.

Sewnoma

ckcowl, I was told that C&C would be terrible in my machine too and they recommended Robison-Anton and they gave me a bunch of it to start off with....honestly I can't tell the difference, I think the R-A thread is just as linty as C&C. It just comes on bigger spools. LOL

My machine sews with whatever I put into it. I DO prefer Aurifil (especially for piecing) because it's so thin and low-lint and I can fit so much on a bobbin, but I have loads of C&C and A-R left; I tend to use that for quilting because it's a little thicker and I want the threads to show. I certainly am not about to throw it out, I must have miles of thread!

Connecting Threads brand is my new favorite thread behind Aurifil though. SO inexpensive, and seems just as good (if not better) than C&C or R-A, and tons of colors to pick from. Linty, sure, but it's not that hard to clean out my machine every now and then. I sew a lot of flannel so I have piles of lint no matter what anyway. I'm waiting for another CT thread sale and I'm going to buy a whole rainbow! I just wish they had varigated thread.

mcwillia

Maxi-Lock has a beautiful series of varigated thread and here's a link to the best pricing I've been able to find
http://www.wawak.com/products/product.cfm?pID=10511
The colors are so much prettier in person. My local quilt shop sells the same item for $14 instead of the $4.85 from WaWak.

BellaBoo

I have lots of Robison-Anton poly embroidery thread and it's very linty and has lots of slugs. I have to use a larger needle. If you can look at any brand thread under a microscope you will be very surprised at the thick and thin spots and the slugs in it. You can tell immediately which thread is the best but all have flaws.