How do I repair a frozen presser foot take up lever?
The solution depends on what maker and model machine you're having the problem with.
I do vintage Singer (a few other makers as well but mostly Singers) repair and refurbishment for my Sewing 101 students here in Scotland where I live. Several of their machines had jammed presser feet and the reasons for the jams were usually:
A bit of lint-thread fluff in one or more places a home sewer can't reach to see much less safely clean. This is a job for a professional the first time so he/she can show you how to clean the inside of the machine without getting a very nasty electrical shock, and how to get the machine apart, cleaned, and back together with sewing functionality intact. (TIP: don't - don't - don't use 'canned air'!
OR: the machine hasn't been switched back to sewing mode after winding a bobbin on the machine (simple fix you can do at home - check your user guide and be sure all of your settings are correct).
OR: a broken gear inside the machine (usually the bobbin gear but sometimes a different gear, and sometimes it's two broken at the same time).
OR: the machine has 'seized' because it hasn't been serviced regularly. This is a job for a professional - he/she will have the knowledge and tools to open the machine safely, find the problem and fix it, and then put the machine back together so that it will still sew.
Best of luck, I hope you and your machine are back sewing soon!
My pressure foot is stuck down and will not come back up. Machine is a husqvarna designer se
Presser foot lever on back goes up N down but want let the foot come down.
I found the presser foot rod (to which the presser foot is attached) was stuck in the hole which it slides through. A little WD-40 allowed it to move and subsequently a little oil freed it up for normal operation.
I was just given a 247 model. the wheel to turn so I can fill the bobbin is frozen and the presser foot bar goes up and down but the foot doesn't move. What the heck is going on?
My Husqvarna designer 1 has the presser foot stuck in the low position. What to do?
Singer 247. Presser foot lever moves but the presser foot will not go up or down
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Hi, I have a Kenmore 158.15251. The lever in the back of the machine that lowers or lifts the presser foot is moving freely without moving the presser foot. Seems like it is loose. How can I fix this?
There is a screw that holds the lever in place. Any sewing machine repair shop can get you a replacement
If something isn't broken, most likely it needs good cleaning and oiling in all the right places. This helped in similar problem with Kenmore:
You can also try to direct heat from hand-held hairdryer into internal mechanism www.fixya.com/
I think the screw holding the lifter lever has broken or worked loose like in this question www.justanswer.com/
Maybe this free Kenmore 158.15511 service manual will help you to fix your problem sewingdude.files.wordpress.com/
The simple fix is to tighten the screw that holds the foot to the lifting lever. Very easy.
I had this same issue on my Singer 9410 and "found" this webpage. However, I wasn't able to fix it by oiling it myself. I couldn't access enough of the machine to really check it out and clean it myself. I took it to a sewing machine repair shop, and apparently, it had old oil that had gunked up and it needed a good cleaning, not just the application of more oil.
I have an original Singer Touch and Sew 720. Until tonight it was in perfect working order. I lifted the presser bar, when I went to lower it again the lever made a click sound and the bar now won't move at all. The lever just wiggles about without any noticeable tension against it. Does anyone know how I access the lever and repair it?
The plastic gear that lifts and lowers the presser bar has worn and the click you heard was its 'dying gasp'.
This isn't something you can repair at home - take your Touch and Sew to a Singer factory trained repair tech.
I have a singer Merritt 9444 same thing the pressure foot lever doesnt work, it did, tried changing the pressure foot noe the lever moves up and down not raising or lowering the foot.
I have a singer Merritt 9444 same thing the pressure foot lever doesnt work, it did, tried changing the pressure foot noe the lever moves up and down not raising or lowering the foot.
I have a Singer Prelude that until now, I've had no problems with. However, today I cannot get the presser foot to go down. The lever in the back works, but the foot won't budge. Help!
By Rachel
It could be a thread jam - download this free copy of your user manual from SingerCo and follow the directions in the troubleshooting section at the back of the booklet:
www.singerco.com/
If that doesn't help, be sure that the presser foot is properly attached, check to see if the feed dogs are in the correct position, and (this happens a lot) the machine has been switched back to sewing mode after winding a bobbin.
In the end, though, you may need to take the machine to a repair tech (it's a fairly new model so yours might still be under warranty) - if the above doesn't work the only other reason for what you're experiencing is (probably, could be a couple of other things, too) that the spring-gear has failed.
This isn't a home fix. The repair tech has the knowledge and specialised tools needed to find and make this repair.
My sewing machine pressed foot is stuck in the down position, and won't move up and down. I can manually lift the whole mechanism by pulling up hard on it, but the lever seems to be broken. Do I need to get it professionally fixed? Nothing else seems to be wrong.
By Anna P.
Sorry, yes, this is a repair only a professional (or someone with correct tools and training) can make. Bonus - when he/she fixes the presser foot (usually a worn silicone gear), he/she will usually check the rest of the machine over for other potential problems.
Be sure to get an estimate up front, and see what a full servicing will cost you - cleaning, oiling, and checking the machine over for full functionality and is something that should be done at least every two-three years to keep a beloved machine sewing.
Actually the servicing should be done annually but few sewers are that conscientious:)
The presser foot is stuck in the up position. The lever will go up and down, but the presser foot does not go down unless I push on it manually.
By brneyesu
Had you just wound a bobbin and forgot to move the winder knob back to the sewing position? That's usually why the presser foot lever won't work-because the machine is still in bobbin winding mode.
It's easy to forget to move the spindle back to the sewing position or tighten the hand wheel (depends on what model you're sewing on as to how your machine switches from sewing to bobbin winding and back) especially when you are in the middle of a project and hurrying to get back to sewing. I've done it, too, when called away from the machine just after removing a freshly wound bobbin from the winding spindle.
I've tried to get into the habit of not replacing the bobbin into the case until after I've switched the machine back to sewing mode but lol, it doesn't always happen that way!
Hope your problem is this simple (it usually is) but if this doesn't help, have you checked your user manual for troubleshooting tips?
And if that doesn't help, I suggest taking the machine to a repair centre. Something inside the machine needs professional attention.
