lab fairy

I must be lucky. I've never had problems with mine. Each brand has goods and bads. I've found the cheaper the serger, the harder to thread (this is especially true for older sergers). Advice without knowing what your machine is and your specific issue (you might get the needles right but the loopers wrong kind of thing) isn't really helpful. I suggest that you find someone that knows how to thread it, use different colors for each path, then follow the path. Photograph it, draw it out, whatever works for you and write you own personal directions that makes sense to YOU. I can guarantee that any manual I write makes sense to me, but half my readers will be scratching their head going, HUH?

Prism99

I always refer to the threading diagram on the inside of the cover (opens on the left). Each path is color-coded, plus the number. It is *very* important to thread in the numbered-order; otherwise the thread can keep breaking on you. If I break one thread, I usually have to take all the threads out in order t re-thread in the proper order.

I also loosen all the tension knobs as much as possible before threading to help get the threads seated properly in the tensions. I don't tighten the tensions until everything is threaded.

Once you have it threaded correctly, and want to change threads, the easiest thing to do is cut the old threads near the spools, then tie the new thread onto the old thread. You cannot do this with the needle threads (knot will usually not go through the eye of the needle), but it works *great* for the loopers, which are the most difficult anyway.

Grandma Phyl

My SIL told me always tie the new thread to the old one and pull it through, I have always done this and works like a charm,

bearisgray

And this method works great until a thread breaks in the looper part.
:|

weezie

Mine is color coded. For example, for one of the loopers, I have to put the thread that goes around the blue tension knob through everything that is blue, etc., etc. Is yours color coded?

stitchhappy

Mine is too and it really simplifies things. Mine is a Toyota and it's 18 years old now so they might be different now.

Cuilteanna

I have an inexpensive Brother serger, and the threading is colour-coded so not that difficult. I just have to remember to use the switch that brings out part of the lower looper (making it pretty simple).

Sewaddicted

Threading.......
I always have difficulty threading a serger and blame it on my poor old eyes.

However, I have found a perfect solution for myself.

I simply call my daughter-in-law who has young bright eyes and miracles of miracles, she shows up at my door and problem solved. (LOL, ROFL).

Guess you could say I have to do what I have to do.

Good luck threading, I keep trying before I make that phone call.
Sue

mpspeedy

I am on my third serger. The first one I bought when they first became available in the 80s. It was a real pain. The second one was a Bernina basic model. I hated threading it but I used it for at least 16 years. I now upgraded to a little fancier Bernina. It is much easier to thread will even let you do it out of order. It doesn't have the built in cover stitch. I was not interested in the cover stitch. In the last year I have put together at least 250 Linus quilts with it. Almost all commercial sewing is done on sergers.

sewingrams

Ladies, I use to work in a garment factory and sewed on a serger, and I own one now.The loopers are a bit harder to thread but if you have a pair of long tweezers it makes the job a lot easier.My serger has dots painted on the places where the thread goes.
Also for those who have trouble changing the thread, tie on, losen the tension and pull through until you have the color in hand ( you will have to break the thread near the needles, they will pull through but not very easy and you can break the needle) when all is re-threaded just reset tension.Always do a practice sew first.