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clean and tune up, for how much?$$$$$

Barbaran8 | Posted in Equipment and Supplies on

How much do people generally pay to have their sewing machines cleaned and tuned up? I went to the closest dealer for my Viking, and he charges $120!!! Is this normal? It seems like I could buy a new low end machine for this amount!

Replies

  1. kjp | | #1

    $120 just for tune up?? Ouch!!  I have a bernina & I just paid $60 locally for a tune up.  Another store 1/2 hour away only charges 40 - 50; they are a viking dealer.  Where are you located?  Karin

  2. suesew | | #2

    $120 does sound over the top. Did he have to replace any parts? I just had my Viking #1 done for $69.95. That is the going rate in my small city.

  3. SkiNsew | | #3

    I live in the suburbs of Washington DC.  I just asked my dealer what my sewing machine and serger would cost for an annual checkup.  He said he charges $80 to $120 per machine based on what he finds when he does the job.  By the way he also said it would take about a week unless I made an appointment for a quicker turn over.

    Mary

    1. Barbaran8 | | #4

      I live in the outlying area of Seattle - hmmm, maybe we should do this by regions... Anyone from Portland or Bay area care to chime in?

  4. Elisabeth | | #5

    One Viking dealer here in Virginia charges $50. 120 sounds really high to me. Much of the cleaning and tuning up you can do yourself. It was 18 years ago but the store that sold me the machine then offered a short class in machine cleaning and tune up that was easy and helpful and I have always done my own. Maybe there is something like that in your area?

    1. SkiNsew | | #7

      Where is this dealer in Virginia and is it a Viking dealer.  For that price I think I might travel a little.

      Thanks,  Mary

      1. Elisabeth | | #8

        Oh, it WAS a dealer. In Charlottesville. She recently closed her store which is too bad because it was one place I knew I could ask questions and get good answers. There is a sewing machine/vacuum cleaner place in Charlottesvile that someone said was good. Maybe there is a place like that near you that has a good reputation?

        1. KarenW | | #9

          Southern CA - large Pfaff/Brother dealer - $120 is right in there for the service/cleaning/tuneup on a computerized machine... I think it's actually 129. 99 for a computerized serger.  Mechanicals a little less I believe (?80?).  I admittedly don't do it every year depending on how my machines are running, and I take meticulous care of them.  Not sure about other dealers around here of other brands.  I'm frankly disappointed with my dealer not merely because of the cost but because, since they moved the repair facility to a different location (which serves all their stores) and the head repair guy is no longer in the store, seems the diagnosis for every little tweak or problem with a machine is "it needs service" and you must be an assertive consumer to get by this, and not everything gets checked that you note to when you're not talking directly to the guy/s who do the work.

          Just my $.02 - there are independent repair/sew/vac people I know of from yellow pages or driving around town whom I might be inclined to take a traditional mechanical machine to for service or repair.  But if you've an electronic or esp. computerized machine, I personally would only have that done by an authorized dealer.  Though many of the little independent sew/vac stores will advertise repairing all brands, and they may well be experts on those mechanicals, it seems the manufacturers/dealers have the repair techs attend specific classes/training for the computerized models that only those authorized dealers can attend - I wouldn't entrust a computerized machine to someone who, though they may advertise repairing my brand, does not have access to training on service/repair for the particular model.Good luck!

          Karen

  5. CTI | | #6

    This might sound odd in the internet age but have you checked the yellow pages for independent dealers or asked a few tailors who does theirs? Many small businesses still advertise there. Dry cleaners often have alteration services so they might give you a hint. Fabric stores sometimes have bulletin boards with business cards and most men's stores have in-house tailors. $120 seems high but it might be a big city thing.

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