Serger troubleshooting

[JabbersMom]

I've got a Singer Serger which is only a couple of months old. I'm serging some baby wipes.

The problem: I'll be serging along and all of a sudden, the right needle comes unthreaded (I guess the thread breaks somewhere and yanks the thread out). I can keep going (nothing jams), but I'm down a needle and thread. It's done this 4 times in a row. I've COMPLETELY rethreaded it in the proper order twice now, along with just rethreading the two needles. Once I 'fix' it, I can sew a wipe or two before it does it again, but then it does it again, just the same. I had been sewing on it all day with no problems. It was just in the past hour or so of sewing that it began doing this. Nothing changed either---I didn't change tension or thread before it begain freaking out. Just making baby wipes. And now I'm irritated! Any advice??? TIA!!!!

[andisunshine]

Try changing the needles to new ones. Sometimes the plating chips off and makes a snag that can cut the thread. Especially if you have been using it to do a lot of sewing.

[Fujiko]

I'm going to be watching this thread closely. I've exactly the problem as you, although my Singer Serger is decades old.

ETA: I see that was your first post. to MDC!

[dianna11]

If you have re-threaded it properly, then the needles may be the problem. The needle could be slightly bent, or have a barb in it, or be inserted slightly askew. Try new needles. If that doesn't work, try fiddling with the tension, or even looking in the part that holds the thread under tension, there may be a piece of fuzz inadvertently making the tension tighter.

Good luck!

[JabbersMom]

Thank you! I'm heading to the store now to get a new needle and see if that will take care of it. I've not used it TONS, but I've never changed the needle either, so it could likely be it. Thank you!

[Leilalu]

It is most likely the needle. When I first got my used serger, my tension was way off. Nothing would fix it. Then the needle broke. I got a new one, and turned some weird knob on the side and now it works perfectly. Needles should ideally be changed after each project, though I don't always do that. I think for a serger though it is important to change them after heavy use. That needle has to punch through cloth way more than a normal sewing needle, and may get old really fast.