[frogmammy]

My daughter just finally unboxed the new Brother XL 2230 machine that she bought a few years ago. She thought she should fill a bobbin first and when she started filling it, the machine was going great but when she stopped to cut the thread she used to start the bobbin, the machine acted funny when she started up again.

The bobbin is acting like it is struggling to fill, the machine motor screams (really high pitched!) and it seems that the foot pedal is cutting in and out.

I had her replug in the foot pedal, check the route of the thread from the spool to the bobbin. I nearly told her to take a shoe and slap it upside the head.

If this were an older (REALLY older) machine, I would think that the problem was in the belt area.....you know that little thingy on the wheel that you had to loosen/tighten when you filled a bobbin?

Any idea what the problem could be? She called Brother and they had no idea what the problem was and would not cover the repair, or even part of it.

Mon

 

[Molly Mckee]

If it has been sitting for several years, it may need oiling. I would also be sure it wasn't shipped threaded or with anything that could have gotten tangled up in the machine.

 

[Macybaby]

She should unthread it all and start over.

Sometimes when you stop, the thread loops somewhere and gets caught - and then when you start up it won't go right. It's so easy to miss this when visually looking - so that now I don't bother looking, just pull thread out and rethread.

Since I have no idea how this one works- is it possible she's got it threaded through the tension and then put the foot down so that tension is engagaed? I know sometimes I'm lazy and will wind a bobbin by just taking the thread out of the needle eye - and if I forget and put my pressure foot down, I have problems.

Another good think - take all the thread off and see if it will go OK unthreaded. If not, then you know the threading has nothing to do with it.

And it could easily be that it needs to be "warmed up" to get the oil/grease softened after sitting for so long. This is not an uncommon problem with older machines, but usually does not happen with newer once because of the type of libricant used (they are often not meant to be oiled).

 

[Ruby]

Maybe the belt is deteriorated or stretched. I had a Brother that was bought new in 1999. After it would set for a year or to when I would try to use it the belt would not turn the wheel. I replaced the belt and a couple years it did the same thing.