LEARN TO REPAIR SEWING MACHINES!!!

Yes! You too can earn thousands of dollars a year repairing sewing machines at home!

And if you believe that, I have some Florida swamp land to sell you.

This picture came from a machine that was SERVICED the week before I saw it for over $200!

I have been repairing sewing machines professionally for almost 34 years now. I do it because I like it and I like helping people. When my Dad and I had 8 stores on the West coast of Michigan and the economy was booming, I never made the kind of money an assembly line worker could make WITHOUT a high school or college education. The repair business has never been a road to riches. I know people who have done much better than I have but they usually repair and run. Most of the time repair shops are cranking out machines fast and dirty. I mean really dirty. If you want to make money, then remember "time is money" and you will have a bad reputation in no time at all. I have seen machines where people have spent up to $200 and as soon as I look in it the lint and debris falls out. Then here I am trying to get more money from someone who has just been ripped off. I hate doing that so I always give a low discounted price and just try to help because THAT is what I like to do.

If you go to a service center you should be greeted by the technician and that person should take off the top and bottom covers right in front of you. Then quote you on a price for the service. Also, service rates should be clearly posted before you begin the process of leaving your machine. If you have someone come to you for your service you should be told before they arrive what the rates are for a service call. OPEN YOUR EYES. Look at your own machine yourself and make a mental note of how dirty it is before you leave it for service. When you pick up your machine you should be able to see that the machine has been well cleaned. Most problems can be cured by just CLEANING lint and debris out of the bobbin area. If you want to learn to repair machines anyway there are many books and web sites dedicated to selling you the information you need and can usually find for free if you try. Start at the Singer Sewing Company web site and download the FREE parts and service manuals that they have posted. Most other machines are just copies of SINGER machines so you are in the ballpark for 90% of the machines out there for FREE. Then try other places like a LIBRARY and look up the information you need for FREE. Also, remember if you take MONEY for what you do you probably need a business license and need to pay TAXES. OOOOOPS! There goes all your profit! Oh well, you just wanted to do this for fun anyway. Just join the club.

Finally, remember there are a lot of repair technicians out on the web that can offer you help for servicing your own machine. I say start there first.

Bob Gregor

Tip of the Day (Sunday)

Many people call and ask for a service center in their area.

Unfortunately, many service centers have closed due to economic reasons or the many other challenges that affect a small business. In order to make sure you are receiving quality service you should contact the web site of your machine's manufacturer or check with your local "Business" authority usually at the county Government level. There are also private organizations that review businesses, but may not be able to help you unless a complaint has been filed against a particular business. Singer provides a local business check on the web site based on your postal code. Here is the web link for their service centers. http://www.singerco.com/locations/
Service centers can be a real mixed bag depending on where you live. Many shops are "authorized dealers" for several brands of machines and even vacuums. Remember most older machines can be fixed, but the cost may be prohibitive. I would weigh the cost against many factors. You may love your old machine and know its features. Also, it may be in a cabinet that a new machine may not fit. Repairing old machines is not only better for the world, it is an art form that needs to be kept alive!
Bob Gregor

Tip of the day (Wednesday)

I receive most service calls from people who don't know their model number. It is important to have your model number ready so I can more easily diagnose your problem. If you don't know your model number there are several places on the machine where it might be located. Please refer to the web page : http://www.singerco.com/support/model_number.html and notice at the bottom of this page is a link if your machine only has a serial number. If you have your owner's manual you should refer to it when calling.
Bob

THINK GREEN!!

Before you fill another landfill with an old sewing machine, "Think Green".

If you absolutely don't want to fix your old machine remember most of the parts are recycleable.

On the other hand, I find that most of my customers didn't know their old machines could be repaired. If the manufacturer of your old machine no longer has parts available look to re-sale web sites to find a machine for parts. Also, there are many third party suppliers that manufacture parts for older machines. Feel free to send me a note if you have a question on where to get parts or service for your old machine.