Our charge is a flat fee that varies by machine model, this includes a thorough cleaning and inspection of your machine. For computerized machines we check all the electronics settings and tests and update firmware as required. For all machines we check all the factory settings - tensions, timings, feed dog height, and many more that are required and re set any that are out of spec back to factory specs. We then lubricate the machine and test sew on it. All of our service work has a 90 day service warranty
During any routine maintenance if we find any issues that are beyond that scope we will contact you with our estimate of what is wrong and what it will take to repair that before we do anything else. Generally speaking BERNINA machines are very well made and dont have many chronic problems, mostly we see wear from mileage and age and we have seen enough of them to know what to expect on them as time and mileage accumulate.
The Quilters Cafe is an authorized BERNINA Service Dealership. Our staff is trained and certified through Bernina of America, Inc. See the BERNINA of America website for complete factory warranty details on BERNINA machines. We use only factory BERNINA parts on the service and repair of your machine. We guarantee that the parts installed by us will perform satisfactorily under conditions of normal usage for a period of ninety days after the date of repair. See our The Quilters Cafe work order for complete service warranty details.
Needles don’t last forever and you need to replace them as necessary. Also, sewing over pins cannot only damage a needle but your machine as well. Bernina is asked such questions on their USA website and publishes the following advice:
How often do I need to replace my needle and why?
You should always change your needle after 4–6 hours of sewing time as the tip gets worn and burrs on the needle can damage your fabric and needle plate. Skipped stitches may occur with a worn or damaged needle. It is also important not to sew over pins, as the needle can easily hit the pin, burring or blunting the needle. The pin can also break and be pushed into the sewing machine, damaging the internal parts. (Article Ref. #: faq0018)
On occasion, customers bring their machines in for repair due to bad stitch quality. One example is large loops being caused simply by a needle that had struck a pin, bending into a hook. Other problems are caused by a blunted or burred needle. Sometimes replacing the needle is all that is required. Other times you need to bring in your machine to have the timing fixed because of a needle maligning from striking a pin. So be sure to change your needle after 4–6 hours of actual sewing and please, don’t sew over pins!