I have 2 janome's and they have to be serviced and cleaned every year unlike my old singers. Are all new machines like that or is there any out there that we can clean ourselves? I don't like having to tote my machine in and leave for 4 weeks or more then pay them $100 bucks (which I would rather spend in a qs). Thank goodness I have my singer 15, 99 and 301's :-D

i have jamome and i dont take it in for service have never had problems with it . What kind of problems are you having that cause you to take it in

I have a 25 yr old singer that has never been in the shop and still sews like she was new. I also have a one 1/2 yr old kenmore/janome and the only cleaning that she has had so far is from me. I use the instructions about cleaning out the bobbin area and that is about it. I have a warranty which includes yearly tune-ups but she has been in full use so I haven't had time to take her in but even the book doesnt have anything about taking her in each yr. I will take her in in a few weeks when I get my other machine back. I don't know what kind you have so yours could be different. Mine doesn't even use oil. That was a surprise to me.

I keep all my older machines cleaned myself. As far as the computerized machines, I take them in the first year under warranty and then if there is a problem that I cannot fix myself, I will take to repair shop. I have a Viking SE and it has been in the shop 2 times. I have had it 5 years. I have a Brother 4000D that I bought used about 3 years ago and it has never been to the shop. You are lucky if you get a repair bill for $!00.00, ours here are $169.00 plus any parts. now you know why I try to keep mine in working condition myself...

I thought we had to take them in yearly for a cleaning, at least that is what I was told. I admit I just had my big janome in for a cleaning, first time in 3 yrs. The guy who cleaned it, made me feel like I was abusing my sewing machine, said'this hasn't had a good cleaning for quite sometime"

There is a spot under the bobbin case that has a wick that my shop owner told us that we should oil once a month (or when you notice that the wick dries out)...only one drop or so. Janome doesn't put it in the instructions but the shop owner has contacted them and was pretty pushy until they finally said that oiling once a month would be helpful. I believe when you take it in for servicing they oil it...so once a year or less as opposed to once a month??? My $3 thing of oil will last me for ever!

I have had my viking Rose since 1996 & it has never been taken in for service. I am careful to keep it clean of lint & have no problems. I go by the "If it's not broke..." rule.

I had brought my Husqvarna 535 into the shop when it was 1 year old for warranty purposes, Larry did his thing with it and told me I was doing a fine job at keeping the self-cleaning area's clean and to just keep it up. When the 2nd year rolled around I brought it back thinking I had to have it cleaned yearly. Larry took it and called me back a few days later and said "I must have forgotten to write down the problem you were having with the machine and I can't find anything wrong". I told him it was just in for a cleaning. He said "What on earth for?". I picked up my machine and a bill for $30 cause all he did was look at it and telephone me then put it right back together. He told me to stop doing that. He said if I kept it as clean as I have been there should be no reason to bring it in to me unless it needed actual 'servicing'.

I have three machines all Janome, and never take them in yearly for service. Keep them clean myself, and they work fine. However my 10001 is in the shop now, I have had it 5 years and soemthig happened with the emb module so it needed fixing. Unfortunately the bill will probably be upwards of $159. And as others have said I put oil in the bobbing case (one drop) every once in a while and my dealer also said to put a drop in the bobbin winder on top. .

I am one who believes in having my machines serviced regularly--if not every year, every couple of years. When you are used to using a machine, if it starts sounding or stitching a little differently or noisier gradually, you don't really notice it. I'm always amazed at how much quieter and smoother they seem once I get them back. You really notice a difference then. And I buy top of the line, or near top of the line, machines. I have a 20 year old Pfaff 1473 I just had serviced a few weeks ago (nothing was wrong with it, it just needed a good cleaning/check-up), and it was like a brand new machine when I got it back.