Common Tension Issues

[@MiguelHernnandezSr]

Thanks for the tension refresh I was having problems with the too my wife is custom to a 280 top but after trouble shooting the mechanized I watch your KZbin on the adjustment and got it working at 405 top tension.

[@jonimiller1880]

Thank you for the easy to follow directions to adjust my tension.

[@hemidancer64]

Thank you! I just bought my Sweet Sixteen a couple of weeks ago and was getting so frustrated, I was about to give up and send it back. But after watching your video, I sat back down and tried again and, Voila! Perfect stitches! This machine is a bit of a drama queen compared to my other home machines, but so worth the effort!

[@myronmitchell1791]

WOW...I am new to this, never took my Tension higher than 30 but I am having Problems stitching the Lighter Fabric, now I will try taking it up to 500 lol, I always wondered why the numbers went up so high...I gotta see if this works for me on my Midarm...Thx Sheila😍

[@lindabenedict7135]

I have a Towa bobbin tensioner w/King Tut thread and always went for the higher tension (about 220). As it turned out, my encoder had a bad washer. We replaced it, I adjusted the timing, cleaned the wheels, changed the needle, added oil, and the machine was still skipping stiches in the vertical. Mind you I'm on the last two rows of this king-size quilt for a client, and just devastated that it's taken me well over a week to move a couple of rows towards the end. I used your method, and, yes, the bobbin tension was too high. Now I've managed to finish the second to the last row. I know it's silly, but I was on the verge of crying as I quilted the rest of the row b/c I was so certain that it was going to mess up again. It made it. Holding my breath for this last row (oh I hope the tension, timing, & everything holds). Thank you so much for this post - it helped incredibly.

[@thewarmwhippet]

What do you do when you get the eye lashes on the underside of the fabric? I can get my top thread great but not the bobbin thread.

[@ourtimetoquilt8495]

Thank you for such GREAT advice! You went that step farther to help me understand what to look for in the stitches itself! Thank you SO MUCH! Hugs, Deb Our Time To Quilt

[@marciajaskula7413]

Thank you so much for your video!!!! Omg! I had tried everything to fix skipped AND long stitches:( I realized after watching your video , that this time , it WAS my decoder:( the rubber ring came off , when I took it in for service. I found it on the floor and didn’t realize that’s where it went! I can stop pulling my hair out for now:)

[@HandiQuilter]

Glad it helped!

[@ladydean49]

Hi Vick I have a question that came up with one of my friends that came to visit me. She said I was placing the bobbin into the bobbin case in correctly. Is their any education videos showing which way the tail of the thread should go when placing the bobbin in the case. Lana ( HQAvante 18) I Love this video I'm still working to get my tension correct using different threads.

[@livdriscoll3981]

This just saved my machine and my wallet, thank u!

[@vickyledwy9186]

Hi Vicki, can you please explain why my Avante 18 screen does not have this 520 area that you speak about. Instead my screen. In that same area, has needle up or down only. I am having major issues with getting my tension right for quilting a Batik collage quilt. Have asked in several forums and have tried every suggestion. But nothing is working. So so disappointed.

[@joannrice8359]

Great explanation. Thanks.

[@kathleenwilliams1878]

I have a 2014 Fusion, is there and upgrade for the tension on screen for that, I am having a real problem with my tension

[@sprklhair]

I realize this is an old video so I hope you have a suggestion for me regarding tension. I use glide 40 wt. thread top and Botton and have good luck with it. I can use bottom line in the bottom with minor adjustment but recently a different thread on top which is also 40 wt. (Its the variegated thread by superior). this thread breaks almost every couple minutes of quilting. also, bottom line on top and bottom seems to break, or shred as well. I have been playing with tension alllllll dayyyyyy. sigh..... kinda hard to pack up the longarm machine and take it in but, that is sounding better and better... Hope you have some advice. thanks in advance :-)

[@tysonjacob2287]

If the thread is breaking my best guess is that you need to check one of 2 things. First make sure that it is threaded properly throughout all of the channels, especially the tension adjuster. Next, if all of that is good, and the thread is breaking the tension is too tight. I would dial it back to the left if you are facing the tension adjuster. Dial back quite a bit and then test stitch and compare to this video each time you test until you get to the perfect stitch. If you still can't, even after patiently going through these steps (the video is a great reference) then it may require servicing as something may just be off.

[@tysonjacob2287]

And did you check your bobbin tension? Did you do the pull test on it with it laying in the palm of your hand? That could be the root problem as well.

[@lenadrzewiczewski8134]

When I turn up the top tension to get it to look good on the back,,I can hardly pull the thread out from the needle to start quilting,,,sometimes it breaks its so tight. Should I not thread through all three loops when threading the machine

[@hqstudioeducators8520]

Lena, It could be that the bobbin tension needs to be loosened. Once you loosen the bobbin tension you can loosen the top tension and this should help with the breakage. You still want to use all 3 holes on the 3 hole thread guide. It may help to pull some thread extra thread from where the thread comes out of the thread uptake arm before you move your machine to bring up the bobbin thread. This will put less tension and pull on the thread in the needle as you move your machine.

[@robinkinley6851]

Lena Drzewiczewski Lena, I like to teach my longarm students the following tip: TT. Train tracks (the pinprick spiny feel of overly tight tension) means too tight! So wherever you see those train tracks, it's too tight. But, you can only tighten the top tensioner so much or your thread will break too easily. So then you loosen the bobbin a bit...Train tracks=Too tight!

[@drmichaelelinski6992]

Excellent explanation of adjustment if top and bottom tension. Thank you.

[@DSLAlex4]

Thank you!

[@sidmooney2969]

Using a pin or needle to clean under the bobbin thread tension spring is a bad idea. It's too easy to scratch or put a burr under the spring causing thread shredding or breaks. Instead of paper a good idea is to use a business card. Easier to clean even the slightest bit of lint.

[@dougmcelwain8019]

Bobbin thread keeps bunching up underneath

[@tysonjacob2287]

I had this, Doug, and had to start right at the beginning walking through the steps she outlines. Start with the bobbin and work through. Make sure there is no dust or thread in the bobbin area, and that your strings on the back of your item are trimmed each time as well to prevent tangling and looping with those.

[@charthompson6669]

Setting the tension on the bobbin in this video is different from setting the bobbin tension in the previous video. In the first one, the bobbin was supposed to lift off the hand and slowly fall down into hand. This video shows that the bobbin should not lift off the hand. So why is this shown 2 different ways. I think the Handiquilter has tension issues anyway. Help if you can. Thanks!!

[@fazejain7314]

Char Thompson sewing machine tension in hindi