RunningThreads

Remove the bobbin, get a flashlight and rotate the flywheel by hand and have a good look at the hook assembly. Sometimes the piece get stuck in there but most times it is either in the quilt or on the floor. My experience anyway. If you can’t find it you will the next time you walk barefoot in your studio. Most times breaking a needle is no big deal install a new one and carry on. Some people have had to reset the needle bar height (timing) but mine always stitched fine after I broke a needle. It is possible to put a nick in the hook assembly as well and that will cause thread breaks and shredding. Don’t worry about the possibilities install a new needle and see what happens. Nigel

Cee K Take the bobbin out and put one drop of oil right where the grey and chrome pieces meet at the bottom and then run the machine for a few seconds to distribute the oil. If you are looking from the top you will see the groove in the chrome that the grey basket sits in and that is where you are trying to get oil at the bottom. We always used good quality threads and I only took the needle plate off once or twice per year when doing a real good service, same time as I check motor brushes and have the side cover off to lube the hopping foot. Nigel

Put one drop of oil in the hook right where the basket and the hook meet and then see if the noise is better. That should be part of your routine each day you use the machine anyway. Nigel

Do you mean the hook? The instructions for the hook will be in the timing video. Try to cut the threads with a seam ripper or razor blade first and pull the tails out with tweezers.

Good points Jim. Now maybe I read something here years ago about a vibration cause by a loose wheel? Nigel

Jerry If you don’t get an answer this weekend put a call or email into service on Monday. They are pretty good a diagnosing over the phone. The only time I’ve seen a machine behave like yours is when running in manual mode and you get a harmonic vibration. Usually turning the machine speed up or down a little cures it. Nigel

I assume the motor for the cutter is humming. Turn off machine and you should be able to push the linkage from underneath. Once you get it to move a little turn machine back on and set if it goes back to rest position. Nigel

Helen Click on her ID and you will see an option to send her a private message that will go to her email. It doesn’t look like she has been here since she posted the ad. Jim is right that is or was a good deal. Nigel

Looks like Circle Lord Comos

That is a screaming deal for someone. If we hadn’t just retired from the quilting business I’d be all ove that. Just for our American friends this is less than $6000 so it may be worth the road trip. Nigel

The channel locks we used a fair bit but the thread cutter almost never. I think you would get most of the $1100 back in resale but if my intent was to keep the machine forever I don’t know I would spend the extra. I guess the answer to your question is maybe. Nigel

That’s the size we would use with Glide. I would use one size smaller #16 for Superior So Fine. The #18 is the size APQS ships with the new machines. Nigel

Harold It doesn’t look like she has checked in since November. Click on her name and you will see a message icon and send a personal message, it will go to her email. You will also see she had the machine for sale five years ago and the price was $5000 at that time. Good luck Nigel

Dbaz. What info do you need? From the factory 20 inch throat no stitch regulator (many were upgraded to Intellistitch) built until the late nineties or early two thousands. Like all APQS machines well constructed and reliable. Jim Erickson has one as his primary machine in his business. I’m sure he will pop in and answer any further questions. Nigel

Jim is right that the IQ requires needle positioning. My Ultimate 1 had it but it was an option. The Discovery was a later machine but I don’t know if it included or still an option. If your machine stops with the needle in the same position every time then you have it. To the best of my knowledge there are two aftermarket stitch regulator option available. Perfect Stitch and Intellistitch and each are affiliated with a robotic system. Nigel