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kitepoor
Joined: 05 Sep 2003
Posts: 268
Location: USA Virginia Harrisonburg
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 Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 10:02 am Post subject: sewing machine service |
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Due to a strong suggestion in my registration pack for the MOJO class that I will be attendning on Monday at the KMAC house of very fine kites, I took my sewing machine to what I perceive to be to best of the local fabric shops for service. They suggested that I get the "annual" There was a full page of things that the tech cleans adjusts etc. I left the thread that I use and some kite fabric for the tech to set everything up to. The price for this service is $50.00. I gathered from the owner/sales lady that this go over takes about 2 hours.
So my question is, Is this a fair price? Or is there any way to know until someone who knows more than I sews with the machine and gives their opinion. It is an old Singer 401a IIRC that I paid $150 for used.
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Randy
a kite a nice thing
kite in the air a beautiful thing
kites to share the coolest thing |
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KiteSquid
Master Kite Builder
Joined: 29 Aug 2003
Posts: 2796
Location: USA Virginia King George
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 10:24 am Post subject: |
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$50 for a clean and adjust of a mechanical sewing machine seems fair to me.
make sure to sew on some of the fabric/needles/thread you provieded to them BEFORE leaving the store and ask tension adjustment questions THEN!!!!!!
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VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA
P.S. Yet another post by the Squid.....  Doesent he ever shut up???
P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier. |
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kiteguy
Kite Builder II
Joined: 15 Sep 2003
Posts: 1165
Location: USA - Kansas, Overland Park - Near Kansas City
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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$50 for cleaning and service. The going price around here is $69 for that service.  I have a hard time thinking that my $5 machine is worth that. 
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Dave Ellis
Kites + Kids = Education |
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KiteSquid
Master Kite Builder
Joined: 29 Aug 2003
Posts: 2796
Location: USA Virginia King George
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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| kiteguy wrote: | | $50 for cleaning and service. The going price around here is $69 for that service. I have a hard time thinking that my $5 machine is worth that. |
Oh but the priceless kites that it helps you produce... MMMMMMMMMMMM I would say it is worth it 
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VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA
P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Doesent he ever shut up???
P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier. |
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skydino
Joined: 12 Dec 2003
Posts: 157
Location: Blanco , TX
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 1:34 pm Post subject: Fair |
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That's a good price and one that will make you learn to do it yourself .
The 401 is a great machine and will be sewing with your great grandkids .
Start reading this groups forum/group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Singer/ |
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Gary
Kite Builder II
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 286
Location: Rhode Island, USA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 1:36 pm Post subject: Re: sewing machine service |
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| kitepoor wrote: | | Is this a fair price? |
Yep, the price is more than fair. It would be helpful for you to hear from other people in your area who sew a lot and have used the same tech to service their machine.
My first Pfaff, a strictly mechanical, very simple model 239, I had serviced. Once. The 'sew & vac' guy forgot to put half the tension parts back in. Then when I told him what he'd done, and what he'd left out, he wanted to make it my fault. Never went back.
I went in to the local-super-duper-best-in-the-universe sewing store to buy brushes for the motor in the Pfaff. The Owner did his best to convince me I had mis-diagnosed the problem. I fixed the machine in less time than it took me to convince him to sell me the brushes.
Last year the same machine started dropping stitches in zig-zag. When replacing the needle didn't cure it, I ran it over to the best sewing machine tech in the universe, Joe Tricarico in Providence, RI. He cleaned it like new, changed the timing and the needle clearance just enough to make it a lot happier with the commercial threads I use most of the time. It purrs like a new machine.
So I guess I wrote all that to say that there are sewing machine techs, and there are sewing machine techs. Not all techs are good techs. Make very sure you sew with the machine before going to the workshop. Do not assume that because it has been serviced it is okay to use. At least 3 times in workshops that we led, machines failed to work that were fresh off a 'tuning' or 'overhaul'.
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good heavens;
Gary E |
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KiteSquid
Master Kite Builder
Joined: 29 Aug 2003
Posts: 2796
Location: USA Virginia King George
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 1:40 pm Post subject: Re: sewing machine service |
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| Gary wrote: | | Make very sure you sew with the machine before going to the workshop. |
That is why I said SEW WITH IT IN THE STORE BEFORE GOING HOME to prove that the machine sews right..... with your thread, needles, and fabric
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VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA
P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Doesent he ever shut up???
P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier. |
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kitepoor
Joined: 05 Sep 2003
Posts: 268
Location: USA Virginia Harrisonburg
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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thank you all. I feel much better
Gary I bought the machine after reading your site several times
The lady at the store was very concerned that she couldn't find the serial# to write on the ticket I got a copy of. She was worried that I would claim she switched the machine on me. So I flipped out a knife and scratched a big R on the top of the machine. Her eyes got kinda big and then she tried to sell me a new Bernia that was on sale.
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Randy
a kite a nice thing
kite in the air a beautiful thing
kites to share the coolest thing |
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KiteSquid
Master Kite Builder
Joined: 29 Aug 2003
Posts: 2796
Location: USA Virginia King George
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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Is is at the Clothseline or whatever thier new name is??????
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VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA
P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Doesent he ever shut up???
P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier. |
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Stan
Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 592
Location: San Diego
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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I've repaired a few machines with the help of library books. It's worth getting familiar with your own machine by studying the manual, as well as any in-depth books you can find.
I took a machine to a shop once because the timing had slipped. After the expert professional technician scoffed at my diagnosis, he kept it a week and proudly returned it with the timing adjusted. I thanked him for finding the problem.  |
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