Opp's !!!!!!!!

[Mojo]

I had a quick project to sew and discovered that I needed to wind some bobbins so I proceeded to wind up a few. I removed the bobbin case but forgot to raise the needle. Yup........It stuffed a wad of thread inside the hook and caused the safety clutch to engage. For the life of me I couldn't get the dang clutch to reset. So I picked up the phone and called Bob Kovar from Toledo Sewing Machines which is where I bought the Chandler from.

Thank God Bob is a patient man. Actually, if anyone here has ever dealt with Bob they know how easy going, laid back and patient he is. His calm demeanor helped with my level of frustration because when I called I was PO'ed at myself. I cannot thank him enough for helping me get back up and running. I also cannot thank him enough for being patient with me on the phone.

This is where a good dealer who stands behind his machines and offers great customer service beats the hell out of these E-Bay machine dealers. I bought my first machine on E-Bay and got no customer service. While I probably could have saved $ 50 bucks or so it was well worth the extra money to buy from a reputable dealer who will always be there to assist you. Especially when you screw up your machine. :)

It was pretty funny actually because I put Bob on speaker phone as he talked me through the process of getting the machine fixed. Meanwhile my wife was helping me and making comments along the way. I did hear one or two chuckles coming from Bob during our exchange.

Just wanted to publicly thank Bob for spending so much time on the phone with me and helping me through one of my screwups. Also Bob, thank you so much for having the patience of a Saint.

If anyone is looking for a new machine, I cannot stress enough that the paltry sum of money your going to save buying a machine on E-Bay is not worth it. Having a dealer at your disposal when you need assistance is worth that savings.

Any bets I will never forget to get my machine setup correctly before winding bobbins again ?....LOL...

Chris

[Mike8560]

thats always good for a 1/2 hour or so Chris been there myself

[bobbin]

I love reading posts like your's, Chris.  I don't think there is any substitute for a solid, working relationship with a mechanic/dealer you like and respect.  I honestly don't understand why so many people (esp. newbies) seem to "chase price" as if the lowest price was akin to the Holy Grail.  All it takes is one time when you're porked and under the gun to bring the importance of a professional network into sharp focus. 

Don't get me wrong, price is important, but so is knowing there is someone with the skills and knowledge you don't possess who is "in your corner".  In the final analysis, that's why I bought my new 1541 from the wonderful local dealer/mechanic I've used for years.  I paid a little more for the machine and the sales tax my state requires, but I know that he has a vested interest in seeing that any problems I may encounter are resolved quickly and easily.  And, I won't feel weird about calling him (as a dealer) to service a machine he never had a chance to sell!

There is no substitute for quality mechanical help.  And it's great to read about good experiences with the dealers who graciously share their knowledge and opinions on this forum!

[Gregg @ Keystone Sewing]

 For every ten people who post about a negative experience they had, there is one who shows up to post a positive.  Glad to see there are still folks out there who value service and support.  For service people, every time you pick up the telephone you would think the sky is falling, so believe you me that these types of thoughts ARE appreciated.     

[Toledo Mach. Sales]

Chris,
Your so very welcome  ;)that's what I'm here for & I'm as glas as you that we got it going.It was fun so don't ever be afraid to call.
Bob

[fragged8]

Hey Bob I'm in the Uk can i call you when i screw my machine up  heheh

I've been through Toledo a couple of time, mainly on the Interstate.
last time I got lost in the middle but some nice cops pointed me in the right
direction.

Rich

[Mojo]

Chris,
Your so very welcome  ;)that's what I'm here for & I'm as glas as you that we got it going.It was fun so don't ever be afraid to call.
Bob

Bob:

Looking on the bright side of things you did manage to get a little entertainment out of listening to my wife and I " discussing " the work I was doing. If only you could have seen the words I was reflecting to her with my face and eyes. If looks could kill. :)

I felt bad though because I ate up a great deal of your time. :( I do appreciate it though. I also appreciate you not making me feel like an idiot ( even though I was for doing what I did ).... :).

Chris

[hdflame]

Chris,

Too bad your wife didn't have a video camera going! :o  It would have made good YouTube viewing! ;D

[Joys Shop]

I did the same thing to my machine
so
I went to my local fabric store, and bought a bobbin winder
The biggest problem many people would have with it, is that it's pink
but
it's great for winding bobbins
it's real small  (about 7" wide, 3" tall and about 4" deep)--don't have it in front of me now, so can't measure
it's kind of cheaply made, but gets the job done without any chance of clogging your sewing machine

money well spent

[Mojo]

I did the same thing to my machine
so
I went to my local fabric store, and bought a bobbin winder
The biggest problem many people would have with it, is that it's pink
but
it's great for winding bobbins
it's real small  (about 7" wide, 3" tall and about 4" deep)--don't have it in front of me now, so can't measure
it's kind of cheaply made, but gets the job done without any chance of clogging your sewing machine

money well spent

Actually, I have one of those. My mother in law bought it for me for Christmas. I have used it before and it does work good but was not sure if it would wind M bobbins. I was using it on the small bobbins.

I do like the way my Chandler winds the bobbins. They seem to always be nice and tight and I get no thread hangups. I will have to try out that bobbin winder sometime to see if it will wind the large bobbins tight.

Chris

[Therapy]

   Ive been to Bob store Toledo Sewing Machines.

  Vary nice guy   Hay Bob i hope the roof isnt leaking. 

                               Mike H   Livonia MI.

[stitcher_guy]

Chris, glad you got the bugaboo worked out. And what you say is so true for so many things (you know this from your past profession). People are so used to Wal-Marting and going to big box stores where there is no one to stand behind the products, but they get it dirt cheap. They can't see beyond the price tag when there is actual customer service and a professional standing behind the product mixed in.

When I do the project interiors for people, it's a big hit to the budget for them and I realize this. It's nice when the realization sets in along the way that they aren't just paying for a roll of vinyl. Like I tell my customers, they're paying for an upholsterer along with the job. I always look for my customers at car shows, check out their interiors to make sure there is nothing amiss, make sure everytrhing is going well, and if there is a problem, I help them out however I can.

Along with customer service, it's also covering my butt, just like with the sewing machine issue. I sure as heck don't want one of my projects sitting out there with a flaw and a prospect looks in at it. The inevitable question follows "who did your interior?" There's no chance to qualify what they see (I told him to cut corners, I told him I wanted it like that). All they say is "PRO Stitch did it." I've either sold them or lost them with that one look. If you worked on your machine by yourself for hours, or worse yet, if it was still broken, you'd be talking about it on here. And someone would ask "where did you buy it?"

Remind your wife that this is all for fun in your retirement.