Dropped stiches on a regular basis

[okiwen]

I purchased a Artisan 3000 not so very long ago. I am not a production worker by any means but I try to use it as much as possible. I seem to be spending most of my time with my hand on the fly wheel to catch it when it skips a stitch or begins to tie a knot or some such crap. Very frustrating. Now, I know there are more expensive machines out there that claim to never ever skip a stitch, but I thought over 2 grand was pretty expensive to begin with.

Has anyone else had this problem? I have no complaints with Artisans customer service I was just wondering if this is par for the course or if I'm just lucky.

I also seem to have a power problem. It won't stitch often and I have to start it with my hand.

Thanks in advance for the insights,

kevin

[ArtS]

Kevin,

You need to call them and get some help. I've never had either of those. Well, at least not after I learned how to use it. When I first got it I had never used a sewing machine so while I was learning I made some mistakes. I called Dave and I also called the guy who taught me to make saddles and they both helped me out. Dave will stay with you and get you fixed up. It's probably something that you have set wrong or are doing wrong.

Art

[Artisan Dave]

Kevin,

You need to call me in the morning! Your TORO should NEVER skip a stitch - period! End of Story!

There is one tool that all you folks should use more often whenever you have a concern: THE TELEPHONE !

Kevin - your machine will operate perfectly - but you need to let us know you are having a problem. We stand behind every machine we build for each and every customer.

I hope to speak with you tomorrow so you can be stitching effortlessly all weekend!

Dave

[Luke Hatley]

KEVIN............YOU ARE VENTING TOO MUCH. SAME THING ALMOST HAPPENED TO ME

WITH MY SEW MO (ADLER COLNE). I DID NOT HAVE THE TENSION SET TIGHT ENOUGH.

AND I DID DO A LOT OF TALKING TO THE FOLKS I BOUGHT IT FROM AND 2 OTHER

PEOPLE THAT HAD SIMILAR MACHINES.1/2 A DAY I DID FIGURE IT OUT..

TOMOROW YOU AND DAVE WILL GET YOUR MACHINE UP AND RUNNING.

[okiwen]

Kevin,

You need to call me in the morning! Your TORO should NEVER skip a stitch - period! End of Story!

There is one tool that all you folks should use more often whenever you have a concern: THE TELEPHONE !

Kevin - your machine will operate perfectly - but you need to let us know you are having a problem. We stand behind every machine we build for each and every customer.

I hope to speak with you tomorrow so you can be stitching effortlessly all weekend!

Dave

Dave,

Thanks for your reply. I am not afraid to use the phone, I use my machine most times in the dark of the night (after your office hours).

I appreciate that there is a learning curve to each machine. I am down for this, I am just wasting LOADS of time taking stitches out and so on.

I will try to get to the shop at a decent time.

Thanks again.

[okiwen]

I didn't think I was venting; I was taking an informal poll. I wanted to know if this was normal to work the bugs out.

Thank you just the same.

I reread my post. Maybe I was venting a little. Sorry.

Edited December 5, 2008 by okiwen

[Luke Hatley]

[Ian]

I purchased a Artisan 3000 not so very long ago. I am not a production worker by any means but I try to use it as much as possible. I seem to be spending most of my time with my hand on the fly wheel to catch it when it skips a stitch or begins to tie a knot or some such crap. Very frustrating. Now, I know there are more expensive machines out there that claim to never ever skip a stitch, but I thought over 2 grand was pretty expensive to begin with.

Has anyone else had this problem? I have no complaints with Artisans customer service I was just wondering if this is par for the course or if I'm just lucky.

I also seem to have a power problem. It won't stitch often and I have to start it with my hand.

Thanks in advance for the insights,

kevin

Kevin, one thing you can check is if your needle is properly seated and the eye is properly aligned.

[esantoro]

Another thing to check is the length of the bobbin you are using. Measure them with a caliper. I had a bunch of bobbins that were a tad longer than the bobbins that came with the machine and noticed that these would spin in the bobbin case with inconsistent tension. I also noticed that the spring inside the bobbin case was aiding in adding too much irregular tension on the bobbin. I removed that spring (you could just cut it down a few rings). And everything works much better, as the deciding factor for bobbin tension is now only the bobbin tension screw, not some other variable.

Ed

Edited December 5, 2008 by esantoro

[HarryB]

One more thing to try: make sure your needle is big enough for your thread size. Both of those problems come from the thread too big for the needle eye.

[esantoro]

After a few months of solid stitching, my 441 started missing stitches. I don't clean out the race and shuttle and underneath the needle plate as often as I should. I took a gander down there and a good bit of thread dust and oil had bulit up on the needle guide, which takes place of the feeddog, when running with the nylon needle plate. Yesterday I was doing a bunch of experimenting with various combinations of 26 and 25 needles and 346 , 277, and 207 thread.

I cleaned out those areas mentioned and even removed the needle guide, as I never thought it did much anyway except give the needle something to crash into. A year ago , I was running dogless/guideless, but eventually put it back in under the spell of some mystical belief that it was a good thing. The sun, moon , and stars are now in a different alignment and the voices have told me to remove the guide once again. And all is well.

How many of you run dogless/guideless when using the slotted needleplates?

Ed

[Bree]

Another thing to watch carefully is the threading... 2 full turns around the lower tensioning disks... COUNTERCLOCKWISE. That one is EASY to screw up.

[esantoro]

HAve you solved your problem, Kevin? I'm anxiously awaiting the results.

Ed

[esantoro]

Another thing to watch carefully is the threading... 2 full turns around the lower tensioning disks... COUNTERCLOCKWISE. That one is EASY to screw up.

Bree,

When you take a bird's-eye view of the lower tensioning disc, do you see one strand or two strands of thread on the top of that disc?

ed

[esantoro]

You jinxed me, Kevin. You've made me concerned about the occasional missed stitch that I encounter, so I started running some tests with this or that piece of hardware (needle plates, feed dog, needle guide) installed, not installed. I opened the refrigerator door five times with my right hand, making sure to close it with my left. I turned counterclockwise, walked backwards to the machine...............It didn't work.

And then...I remembered.....I remembered back to a time when manuals were written to be read....And I remembered that the manual had something about the beveled edge of the inner race/spacing ring. It read: "BE SURE THAT THE BEVELED EDGE GOES IN TOWARD THE MACHINE."

About a year ago, during the antediluvian era, I had asked about this beveled edge. Consesus was we weren't sure it mattered.

The opening and closing of the refrigerator door, the turning counterclockwise, the walking backwards toward the machine -- none of that worked. Reading the Manual for the first time in a year did. It does matter very much that the beveled side of that inner race/spacing ring face inward toward the machine. I floored the machine to see her do what I know she can. She's mine again.

Give that inner race/spacing ring a check.

Now I've got to go fix my refrigerator door.

Ed (who's still not getting out)

Edited December 22, 2008 by esantoro

[okiwen]

I have not solved my problem. My wife has had a run of surgeries and I was switched to day shift for the Christmas season which between the two stopped all work. I will report once I have found the problem. It is not the bevel however. I took the ring out to clean the race and put it back in the same way it came out.

I hope to get back on the machine asap. The refer. door is a very good suggestion as well. I am willing to try all that might solve the stitch skipping. Maybe I need to downshift as I enter the turn as well. This would give me the power to leave the corner without the hand assist.

You jinxed me, Kevin. You've made me concerned about the occasional missed stitch that I encounter, so I started running some tests with this or that piece of hardware (needle plates, feed dog, needle guide) installed, not installed. I opened the refrigerator door five times with my right hand, making sure to close it with my left. I turned counterclockwise, walked backwards to the machine...............It didn't work.

And then...I remembered.....I remembered back to a time when manuals were written to be read....And I remembered that the manual had something about the beveled edge of the inner race/spacing ring. It read: "BE SURE THAT THE BEVELED EDGE GOES IN TOWARD THE MACHINE."

About a year ago, during the antediluvian era, I had asked about this beveled edge. Consesus was we weren't sure it mattered.

The opening and closing of the refrigerator door, the turning counterclockwise, the walking backwards toward the machine -- none of that worked. Reading the Manual for the first time in a year did. It does matter very much that the beveled side of that inner race/spacing ring face inward toward the machine. I floored the machine to see her do what I know she can. She's mine again.

Give that inner race/spacing ring a check.

Now I've got to go fix my refrigerator door.

Ed (who's still not getting out)