It has now been a few months since I purchased this machine, but I'm just getting around to sharing how this machine came to live with me. It was the first day of Spring Break and T sent me a link for a free machine that someone was giving away. I contacted the poster, but the machine had already been picked up. Since I was already online, I took a quick look around Craigslist to see if there were any other interesting machines. Yes, there was a Bernina 910 offered. The pictures were not great, but the blue on the machine caught my eye and the machine was close by so it was worth investigating.
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| She looked like a beauty, but seller didn't take any photos with the machine out of the cabinet |
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| In one drawer I saw the corners of what I hoped were the instruction manual and the accessories box |
The machine was listed as 'needing some light repair' and when I inquired about its history I found that it had not been used in a few years. The seller said the machine turned on, but would not make a stitch. I was still interested and arranged to see the machine that afternoon.
The cabinet was in rough shape and in need of a good cleaning. A quick peek in the drawers confirmed that the instruction manual and accessories box were included. When I looked under the needle plate, I saw thread wrapped around the bobbin casing and a significant amount of lint buildup. The hand wheel turned freely when I tried it. This machine had been neglected in her cabinet, but she was ready to be cleaned up and put to work.
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| Before cleanup |
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| Dials are filthy, but turn smoothly |
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| Missing its tray |
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| Dirty, but bobbin casing and hook in good condition |
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| Lint packed around and behind the feed dogs |
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| A bit dry on the top, but no cracked gears |
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| Stitch selector operates smoothly between all 7 options |
I cleaned inside and out and I replaced the bulb with a new LED. Under the layers of cigarette smoke, dirt, lint, and dried oil was a solid machine with no cracked or broken parts. The bobbin winder worked on the first try and the machine threaded up easily. A prior owner had played with both the upper and lower tensions so it took a few minutes to reset those. It stitched beautifully both straight and zig-zag, forward and reverse. One thing that is taking a little getting used to is the definitive click that the hand wheel does when I take my foot off pedal. I think this is the machine moving the needle to the full up position at the end of every seam, but it is a loud click and I thought something was wrong at first. The manual mentions the electronic system that moves the needle, but it does not suggest an ideal noise level. I searched online to find where someone identified and acknowledged this click, but I haven't found anything yet so I'm still a bit worried that maybe it shouldn't be quite that loud? If you have a Bernina 910, can you let me know if that's a normal sound?
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| All cleaned up |
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| 7 decorative stitches and bobbin winder on top |
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| Hand wheel has silver colored cap |
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| Still no tray, but clean |
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| Lint gone |
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| Instruction manual |
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| Full accessories case |
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| Power cord and blue foot control |
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| And a Bernina brochure for the 910 |
The brochure says "-youthful - for a lifetime", are they referring to the machine or the sewist who chooses this machine? Did I just luck into a fabulous new machine and the fountain of youth?
