loraquilts Posted October 2, 2016 Report Share Posted October 2, 2016 I'm considering sending my machine head in for a spa treatment. Does anyone know exactly what they do when you send the head in? How much does it cost? How long before you get your machine back? Would you say it was worth it? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiP Posted October 2, 2016 Report Share Posted October 2, 2016 Many of the APQS Dealers have been trained at the factory to do spa treatments in your home or their studio, depending how involved. They give it a thorough check up and replace parts worn from use. A few examples might be motor brushes, needle bar, rocker arm, hook assembly, re-packing the gear box. A good indicator of what your machine might need would be how many hours it has been used for actual quilting. It may just need a thorough cleaning. In your manual is a maintenance chart you can follow to keep your machine running smooth for years. Beachside Quilter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted October 2, 2016 Report Share Posted October 2, 2016 I sent my 2004 Millie on a trip to Iowa in January of 2015. Before that I quilted 90 quilts a year on average and had it gone over by Barb Mayfield once, so I was concerned it was overdue. The only issues I had were with my SR and my chirp, which had been silent for about 6 months. I replaced the hook assembly a few weeks before I sent it and taped a huge note to the head telling them not to replace that part. Not much was wrong. Brushes were replaced, rocker arm swapped out for the latest replacement, thorough going-over of everything else. It was $600 plus shipping both ways. There was a hiccup concerning shipping but it was all resolved. If you have lots of hours on your machine and are concerned about worn parts, a spa treatment is a good idea. I echo the suggestion that you have a dealer come to you if you have one close. Mine was gone for two weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loraquilts Posted October 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Thanks! My machine is an older one - Ultimate I. I have used it since 2007 and am the 3rd owner, so don't really know how many quilts have been done on the machine. Right now it runs fine, but I have to adjust the needle bar height every few times I warm up the machine -- a little drag sometimes. Fixable, but a bit of a bother. A few days ago I noticed that my hopping foot has a little movement to it now when doing ruler work. Never noticed that before. I had been debating about whether to upgrage to the latest Millie, but decided to keep my current machine since it still works great. I think a spa treatment will be just the ticket to get it all performing perfectly. Hope they still service the Ultimate I machines. dbams 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted October 6, 2016 Report Share Posted October 6, 2016 Lora: If you have to adjust the needle bar height frequently, you haven't tightened it enough when you put it back into service. It shouldn't be pushed out of place unless you hit something solid really hard. Next time you set it, put more torque to the clamp so it doesn't move so easily. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loraquilts Posted October 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2016 Jim, I'm completely lost. I've never removed the needle bar or touched the torque on it... not even sure how to do that. All I do is the settings from the back of the machine when I first power up. What page in the manual would I find what you are talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted October 7, 2016 Report Share Posted October 7, 2016 Lora: I think what your'e doing is adjusting the single stitch position, or the needle speed, not adjusting the needle bar height. Needle bar height adjustment is done inside the sewing head, and involves loosening the clamp on the arm that moves the needle bar up and down, and changing the limits of the needle travel. I've had some issues with my I/S single stitch, and adjusted it several times in the five years since the I/S was installed. I haven't had to adjust it for some time now. If you follow the entire I/S adjustment protocol as outlined in their manual, rather than just the single stitch adjustment, you might be able to get the adjustment to hold for a longer period. It may be that your needle speed needs to be set first. Good luck. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loraquilts Posted October 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 Thanks Jim. As always, you are a wealth of good information. Guess I need to read through the I/S manual again. Ugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMissy Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 I just sent my machine in for a 911 service call. I asked about the spa treatment and if I remember correctly it was about $1400.00 and it was about a month. Plus shipping cost to and from along with any parts required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loraquilts Posted October 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2016 Wow! $1400 seems like an awful lot. Guess I'll hold off for now. I was willing to go to $1000 including parts, service, and shipping, but above that is too much for me. Thanks for the info Missy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oma Posted October 13, 2016 Report Share Posted October 13, 2016 I would call APQS and ask them for an estimate. I don't remember being quoted that much. They do encourage you to buy a box for shipping and I believe that was around $35. Then there was the shipping charges and for some reason I think it was under $100 both ways. Definitely worth asking them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beestitched Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 I spoke to Amy only a couple of months ago and she told me the spa treatment for my milie would be 1500.00. I have been able to do any work on my machine myself with their great instructions thankfully. The best service people around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaC Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 Dawn Cavanaugh quoted me $1500 over a year ago and said they would contact me if it was going to be more. I have already replaced a lot of the wear items myself so I felt It was a waste of money. I also contacted a dealer to see if they could do it and she said they could service the machines but APQS did not count it as a Spa treatment as APQS can do "more". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiP Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 If your machine is just experiencing normal wear after lots of use, an APQS Dealer, who has gone through the 4-Day intensive Dealer Maintenance Certification class, should be able to give your machine a Spa Treatment. If you are having electronic issues, a trip to the APQS Service Department might be necessary. A Mini Spa would include a thorough cleaning and sanding off any burrs. It would also include replacing the check spring, pigtails, hook assembly, including the hook finger and timing your machine, motor brushes, wave washers for the thread cutter, and packing fresh grease in the gear box. Call your Dealer. They should have a set price for parts and labor. There will also be a charge for mileage, unless you deliver the machine to their studio. A Deluxe Spa would include the above, plus replacing the needle bar, needle bar bushings and rocker assembly. Your Dealer should have a price for this service also. The price for parts is $150 to $200 more if you have the large M bobbin, and both should be much less than the quote you received from the Service Department. Beachside Quilter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca Grace Posted July 12, 2019 Report Share Posted July 12, 2019 What is the "I/S" and "I/S Manual" adjustment that Jim and Lora are talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningThreads Posted July 12, 2019 Report Share Posted July 12, 2019 Intellistitch and Intelliquilter aftermarket stitch regulator and computer guided system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now