Quilting machines & the cost of maintenance and repair

November 18, 2014

longarm machine maintenance, lifetime warranty, oil, bobbin, oiling wicks, APQS, APQS longarm machine

One of the most common questions quilters ask us about APQS quilting machines is the cost of maintenance and repair. Since our machines are designed for industrial use, you will be able to quilt literally hundreds of quilts before the machine may need in-depth service. Unlike home sewing machines that often need annual checkups, APQS longarms are built for the rigors of heavy-duty stitching. Even if you quilt six days a week, expect your machine to work for years before normal wear and tear may require more than simple oiling and cleaning.

Whether you simply enjoy quilting for yourself or you want to quilt for others as a business, the APQS Lifetime Warranty offers you peace of mind. All you need to do to keep your machine working at peak performance is to use the same common sense approach to your quilting just as you do your piecing. Change your needle frequently, keep the bobbin area clean and oiled, and oil the machine’s five touch-point oiling wicks as needed.

Of course, even with tender care your longarm will have some parts that experience normal wear over a long time period. Some of these items such as your needles, bobbins, bobbin case, hook assembly, fuses and needle bushings, and aren’t part of the lifetime warranty. Most of those parts are well under $20, and even the hook assembly is under $100 for a Smart Bobbin machine. However, big-ticket items like circuit boards, switches, displays and even the machine’s electronics are all covered under the lifetime warranty.

New APQS longarm owners love welcoming their new “babies” home and we love welcoming new owners into our growing APQS family. Many quilters even give their machines a name when they arrive! Just as you’d expect to invest some time and money into maintaining your car with a 50,000-mile inspection, plan to invest in your machine’s longevity as well.

That’s why we recommend that you keep track of each “birthday” your machine has, and set aside about $175 a year in a “birthday fund” for your quilting machine. If the time ever comes for you to send the machine in for repair you’ll have plenty in your reserve fund to send the machine in for a “Spa Treatment” or to replace small worn parts right in your own home over time.

If you use your machine in a business and quilt daily, that’s typically somewhere around the 9thor 10th birthday of your machine. If you simply quilt for yourself and a few friends, your machine may never, ever need a Spa Treatment! That’s because we build integrity—as well as longevity—into every single APQS machine!

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