Ruby the Quilter

I had my Tin Lizzie serviced about 2 months ago and now it is doing the same thing- the thread gets so tight in the tension disc that it won't go through so the thread breaks every few inches. Any ideas from other frustrate Tin Lizzie owners? I have changed needles, checked the bobbin tension, threaded and rethreaded - looked on line and no help. Seems that there is always something that needs adjusting. The Lizzie stitch is not working again so I'm doing the manual stitch. I have 3 quilts ready to quilt - so frustrated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christine-

There are a couple Tin Lizzie yahoogroups for people who need tech support from other owners. Have you tried asking there? I haven't owned mine long enough to be of any help to you. But the members of those yahoogroups are quick to help.

Prism99

Try joining the TinLizzie and TinLizzieLongarm groups at groups.yahoo.com .

aborning

I had a Tin Lizzie for my first long arm. In less than a year I had to get an encoder replaced (for the stitch regulator), the stitch regulator cable replaced twice and a new circuit board put in. This probably wouldn't be so bad if it I were jsut quilting for myself--but I quilt for customers and coudn't stand it when I was down a week or more at a time, watingi for a part to arrive. I finally jsut sold it cheap and bought a APQS. I have quilt 42 quilts on my APQS since January and I have not had a single problem yet. I love it. And I realize, just like a car, there could be a long arm machien (of any brand) that could be a "lemon" and I truly felt like I had a lemon. My Tin Lizzie Dealer never had problems with hers. I'm sure if she did, she wouldn't have been a Dealer. Anyway, good luck.

BellaBoo

That is one reason I won't buy a Long Arm. If I can't get a rep to come check my machine in 48 hours of a big problem, then I don't want one. The machines cost thousands of dollars and it's not like a car I can drive to the dealer or have it towed there to be fixed or a sewing machine I can take to a shop. The few LA brand dealers in my area are few and they don't know any more about the LA they sell then the ones using them. i was told I would have an 800 number to call if I had a problem. No thank you.

PaperPrincess

I haven't had any problems with mine that I haven't been able to figure out. The problem I had with the tension area is that the little spring hook thing that's on the outside of the tension knob allowed the thread occasionally to get wrapped around the spring, tension disks twice, or around the take up arm. I just put a piece of tape over it and it fixed the problem. When the thread breaks, check to make sure everything is still threaded correctly and the thread didn't jump. Also, when I first got my machine, i kept wanting to put the thread thru the eyelet guide then the tension disk. The thread goes from the spool, thru the tripple guide then directly to the tension disk.

Christine-

A long arm is a mechanical machine, it's easy to repair with tech support on the phone, really it is! My dealer is 3 hours away and she's great! (Sew-EZ in Portsmouth, VA) I haven't needed her yet...knocking on wood... when I need tech support I ask questions on the TinLizzielongarm yahoogroup. They are a wonderful group of ladies! I haven't been on there long, but I'm impressed with the group.

I have a 15 needle embroidery machine and tech support for that company is fabulous. I was so pleased with the company I bought my second embroidery machine from them as well. And they're 4 states away from me! I've called tech support 4 times in 10 years, twice I had to take the head off the embroidery machine, the hardest job there is on an embroidery machine but tech support walked me through it... and I was off and running.

I know if you give yourself some credit you could definitely handle working on a long arm machine if it needs it. It's nowhere near as complicated as a computerized machine. There are wonderful people here on the QB and on the TinLizzielongarm yahoogroup.