Thank you so much -- I inherited my mom's Pfaff 360, which I learned to sew on 50 years ago and haven't used (that or any other sewing machine) since. This was a great overview of my "new" machine!
How wonderful! The 360 is one of my absolute favorite machines, especially for piecing quilt tops. I am sure that you will love owning it and creating for years to come. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching!
Cool machine, I love the Pfaff's of this era. So many of these 360's the zigzag regulator stud is frozen so no zigzag or pattern stitches working. I think you are lucky that it's working. These can be challenging to repair and adjust but worth the effort. A keeper in my opinion.
Thank you so much! I agree. We got really lucky with both our Pfaff machines. They are just great work horses. The inner workings are so different looking to the singer machines that I am used to. I am looking really forward to getting into this one and seeing how it all works as I get it cleaned and maintained. Thanks for watching!
The zig zag can be unfrozen if someone has not taken a hammer to it. At the factory they used a lubricant that turns into varnish with time. The varnish needs to be dissolved. Video on this subject by Martin Hansson/Voegeli. and there could be others. Not as challenging as it seems once you get the right instructions. Cannot remember where but was able to download a full repair manual from online. Good luck!
Great video. I love my pfaffs. I have a 260 and a 360 and they are fantastic machines. I also have a singer 401 which I really enjoy but it is not as smooth as the pfaffs. That pfaff is a tank and not the most portable but it is definitely enjoyable to sew on.
Thank you so much! I agree. The Pfaff machines are so nice to sew on. I love our 401a as well but it is not nearly as smooth as our Pfaff 230. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!
I have this machine, at first I couldn't find the right bobbins, the ones that were tag for it, didn't work. Mine was really clean, i dont think they use it much, but was frozen, so with the service manual I take a lot of things out, clean the old oil, adjust some things and now works perfect. I love that is a heavy machine that you can sew fast and doesn't vibrate much. Other thing is the foot pedal, has two capacitors that I coud not find here. But I replace it with an electronic.
I had the same problem In the foot pedal, it heats up and then makes the machine start automatically, but I disconnected the condenser and solved the problem.
These machines were lubed with a cosmoline like substance which turns solid over the years. Every part needed to be taken apart and cleaned eventually. A nice puzzle if you like taking apart sewing machines tho.
Thanks for the info. Haven't heard of the cosmoline before. I have seen where a lot of these machines are seized up like you mention. We got really lucky with ours :) I do like a good puzzle...Maybe the next one will need a full teardown. We can only hope :) Thanks for watching!
Wow que bonita esa maquina, yo tengo la Pfaff-Creative 3.0 es totalmente electronica, y la amo, si me encontrara una como esa 360 tambien me la llevo conmigo. Me gustan las maquinas de coser, tengo varias. me encanta cuando usted aparece con una maquina para la coleccion. Que esten bien Dios los bendiga.
I absolutely love yours & your wife’s channels. I love to quilt, collect old unloved machines & repair them also. This was an excellent video. Perfect for people like myself. You are great at machine review and explanation. It does look like a keeper. I bet you can find the parts you need. I betcha! I would like to know what lubricant you use and what product you use to grease the motors. If you have a universal one? Great machine. What is the weight of this one? Totally enjoyed this video.
Thank you so much for the feedback and the kind words :) That is great that you also rehab old machines. It is a great hobby that is so rewarding. As far as lubricants...we use standard sewing machine oil on all of the mechanisms. We use Singer motor lubricant grease on the actual motor gears. We use a standard white lithium grease (paste, not spray) on most of the machine gears. If the gears are caked with old grease that is hard to clean, you can use kerosene to remove it, then regrease. There are a million and one opinions on how to clean and lubricate machines...this is just how we do it. Hope this helps. Good luck with your projects! Thank you for watching and following along!
Great machine, the only thing I didn’t like about the old Pfaffs was that there are no seam guide markings on the throat plate. Runs beautifully though. Maybe I missed it in the second video when you were cleaning and servicing the machine but did you get a new needle threader for it? Didn’t know a Pfaff of this vintage had a needle threader, amazing!
Thank you so much! ya, guide markings would be nice. I have not had a chance yet to shop for a needle threader or a table extension for this machine. I hope to soon though :) It is definitely an amazing machine and we are lucky to have come across it. Thanks for watching!
30:33 -- do we follow the manual that says come from the back with the upper thread ? I wonder what he did here, anyone know ? I changed out the old needle (broken) and I have the same magnifying glass from work, it was handy here, and I got it threaded. But when I tried to sew, it all bunched up under the presser foot and down in the area where the bobbin lives. Hey, lots of progress since the machine, since a professional service, has been about 3 years ? maybe more. There is a little extension table, and I got a metal box, embossed PFAFF with a lot of different presser feet.
I do not have a manual for this machine. Not sure what you are referring to with "from the back" with the upper thread. This machine definitely threads the needle from front to back. Make sure your needle is inserted completely straight with the hook relief facing the rear of the machine (towards the hook). If you are having bunching problems, then you are likely looking at either tension issues with the bobbin and/or the upper tension assembly, or your timing may not be set properly. I have also seen where the wrong needle can cause alignment issues if too short or too long. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the great film about PFAFF 360. I got my PFAFF 360 from my mother, who did a lot of sewing on it. My first word I could read was PFAFF😃. Is it possible to get a copy of the stitch guide for the decorative stitches? I remember that wheel but don't think it exists anymore.
Thank you so much! That is great that you have your mother's machine that she used to sew on :) I am happy to send you a copy of the stitch wheel guide. Please email me at nevertoomanyinfo@gmail.com and I will reply to you with an image file that you can print out. Thanks for watching!
Me encanta esta máquina,yo tengo una Pfaff 360,fueron de mis padres,a la familia no les importo,estaba arrinconada,yo lo mande a dar mantenimiento y está perfecta,muy apenada x no entender lo q habla y hasta en subtítulos no sale la traducción.Saludos desde Perú -lima
That is great that you have a Pfaff 360 as well and that it works well :) Sorry that the translation does not work out for you. Thank you for watching!
That's great. Thanks for the info. A lot of times, in my experience, if a motor is acting up, it just needs to have the commutator buffed/sanded to get the carbon cleaned off. Also, the carbon bushings could be in need of replacing. Both of which are super easy to do. Hope that helps :)
what's a good price to pay for thrift store find like that? I see some now and then but don't know how much work needs to be done on them. Love your videos😀
Thank you so much! Ya, it is always a gamble on these thrift finds. If we can, we always try to plug them in at the store and test them out. That at least rules out some of the possible issues. In our area the thrift stores will generally have sewing machines priced between 20 dollars and 80 dollars. I don't remember what we paid for this machine but it was probably about 60. The reality is that the folks pricing the machines at the thrift stores don't usually know anything about sewing machines, so they get priced all over the place. Hope this helps. Good luck hunting and thanks for watching!
Thank you for the question. Ya, I remember them not having a terribly long stitch length. As long as you have full rotation with your stitch length knob and nothing seems tight or bound up, you are probably using the whole stitch length. Not knowing the condition of your machine...it is possible that your adjustment knob is gummed up and not fully rotating and accessing the full amount of travel. I would take the top off and try to look at the knob mechanism and clean/lubricate it if needed. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
@@NeverTooMany2023 Great. Thanks for your message. It does turn all the way, but at number 4 it only gives me like 1mm stitch. Im going to take the top of. Thanks! :)
That is a great idea. I know they are pretty touchy with the needle position. Unfortunately, in our case, the little hook that penetrates the needle is broken off. Thanks for the help!
@NeverTooMany2023 darn! Well, I just subscribed yesterday to your channel. My partner doesn't understand why I have to collect sewing machines and it's nice to see your videos. I just got a 201 today. I still have a list of machines I still want. Happy sewing friends 😁
In my opinion, the 230 is the best machine out of these. It is super heavy but it runs incredibly smooth and strong. I love the looks of it and how well it sews.
Thank you for the comment. If it had shown any signs of trouble I would have taken the time to clean and lubricate it first. I probably tested on it a little longer than I would have if I was not making a review video at the same time. Priorities are always a little different when you are creating content on RUclips versus just playing with machines on your own time. Thanks for watching!
My grandma gifted me her old 360 and your video is a life saver to get me to understand it haha thank you
That's great! I am sure that you will love the 360. Glad we are able to help, if at all :) Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much -- I inherited my mom's Pfaff 360, which I learned to sew on 50 years ago and haven't used (that or any other sewing machine) since. This was a great overview of my "new" machine!
How wonderful! The 360 is one of my absolute favorite machines, especially for piecing quilt tops. I am sure that you will love owning it and creating for years to come. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching!
Cool machine, I love the Pfaff's of this era. So many of these 360's the zigzag regulator stud is frozen so no zigzag or pattern stitches working. I think you are lucky that it's working. These can be challenging to repair and adjust but worth the effort. A keeper in my opinion.
Thank you so much! I agree. We got really lucky with both our Pfaff machines. They are just great work horses. The inner workings are so different looking to the singer machines that I am used to. I am looking really forward to getting into this one and seeing how it all works as I get it cleaned and maintained. Thanks for watching!
The zig zag can be unfrozen if someone has not taken a hammer to it. At the factory they used a lubricant that turns into varnish with time. The varnish needs to be dissolved. Video on this subject by Martin Hansson/Voegeli. and there could be others. Not as challenging as it seems once you get the right instructions. Cannot remember where but was able to download a full repair manual from online. Good luck!
Great video. I love my pfaffs. I have a 260 and a 360 and they are fantastic machines. I also have a singer 401 which I really enjoy but it is not as smooth as the pfaffs.
That pfaff is a tank and not the most portable but it is definitely enjoyable to sew on.
Thank you so much! I agree. The Pfaff machines are so nice to sew on. I love our 401a as well but it is not nearly as smooth as our Pfaff 230. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!
I have this machine, at first I couldn't find the right bobbins, the ones that were tag for it, didn't work. Mine was really clean, i dont think they use it much, but was frozen, so with the service manual I take a lot of things out, clean the old oil, adjust some things and now works perfect. I love that is a heavy machine that you can sew fast and doesn't vibrate much.
Other thing is the foot pedal, has two capacitors that I coud not find here. But I replace it with an electronic.
That is great! Good job getting it all up and running. It is so rewarding to make these machines sew again. Happy sewing!
I had the same problem In the foot pedal, it heats up and then makes the machine start automatically, but I disconnected the condenser and solved the problem.
Both condensers? Mine has the two blown out@@radhouannesalmi7974
These machines were lubed with a cosmoline like substance which turns solid over the years. Every part needed to be taken apart and cleaned eventually. A nice puzzle if you like taking apart sewing machines tho.
Thanks for the info. Haven't heard of the cosmoline before. I have seen where a lot of these machines are seized up like you mention. We got really lucky with ours :) I do like a good puzzle...Maybe the next one will need a full teardown. We can only hope :) Thanks for watching!
Pfaff is great machine, keep it. Get the manual and the pattern disc. Then start to having fun and sew.
Sounds like a solid plan to me! Thanks for watching!
Wow que bonita esa maquina, yo tengo la Pfaff-Creative 3.0 es totalmente electronica, y la amo, si me encontrara una como esa 360 tambien me la llevo conmigo. Me gustan las maquinas de coser, tengo varias. me encanta cuando usted aparece con una maquina para la coleccion. Que esten bien Dios los bendiga.
Thank you so much! Thank you for watching as well! Muchas Gracias
Dobri stari PFAFF 💪💪💪
Agreed. Thanks for watching!
I absolutely love yours & your wife’s channels. I love to quilt, collect old unloved machines & repair them also. This was an excellent video. Perfect for people like myself. You are great at machine review and explanation. It does look like a keeper. I bet you can find the parts you need. I betcha!
I would like to know what lubricant you use and what product you use to grease the motors. If you have a universal one? Great machine. What is the weight of this one? Totally enjoyed this video.
Thank you so much for the feedback and the kind words :) That is great that you also rehab old machines. It is a great hobby that is so rewarding. As far as lubricants...we use standard sewing machine oil on all of the mechanisms. We use Singer motor lubricant grease on the actual motor gears. We use a standard white lithium grease (paste, not spray) on most of the machine gears. If the gears are caked with old grease that is hard to clean, you can use kerosene to remove it, then regrease. There are a million and one opinions on how to clean and lubricate machines...this is just how we do it. Hope this helps. Good luck with your projects! Thank you for watching and following along!
@@NeverTooMany2023Thank you for responding, same cleaning products here. I was just wondering.
@@glendacrouch1877 That's great
It may have alread been said but you have to set the take up lever to the correct posission for the needle threader to work properly.
Thank you so much for the tip :)
Great machine, the only thing I didn’t like about the old Pfaffs was that there are no seam guide markings on the throat plate. Runs beautifully though. Maybe I missed it in the second video when you were cleaning and servicing the machine but did you get a new needle threader for it? Didn’t know a Pfaff of this vintage had a needle threader, amazing!
Thank you so much! ya, guide markings would be nice. I have not had a chance yet to shop for a needle threader or a table extension for this machine. I hope to soon though :) It is definitely an amazing machine and we are lucky to have come across it. Thanks for watching!
30:33 -- do we follow the manual that says come from the back with the upper thread ? I wonder what he did here, anyone know ? I changed out the old needle (broken) and I have the same magnifying glass from work, it was handy here, and I got it threaded. But when I tried to sew, it all bunched up under the presser foot and down in the area where the bobbin lives. Hey, lots of progress since the machine, since a professional service, has been about 3 years ? maybe more. There is a little extension table, and I got a metal box, embossed PFAFF with a lot of different presser feet.
I do not have a manual for this machine. Not sure what you are referring to with "from the back" with the upper thread. This machine definitely threads the needle from front to back. Make sure your needle is inserted completely straight with the hook relief facing the rear of the machine (towards the hook). If you are having bunching problems, then you are likely looking at either tension issues with the bobbin and/or the upper tension assembly, or your timing may not be set properly. I have also seen where the wrong needle can cause alignment issues if too short or too long. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the great film about PFAFF 360. I got my PFAFF 360 from my mother, who did a lot of sewing on it. My first word I could read was PFAFF😃. Is it possible to get a copy of the stitch guide for the decorative stitches? I remember that wheel but don't think it exists anymore.
Thank you so much! That is great that you have your mother's machine that she used to sew on :) I am happy to send you a copy of the stitch wheel guide. Please email me at nevertoomanyinfo@gmail.com and I will reply to you with an image file that you can print out.
Thanks for watching!
Pfaff flow is fluffy. I enjoy my 260. I want to get a 91 or 97. Do you happen to know the bobbin class or style?
Agreed :) Sorry, I do not have that information.
@@NeverTooMany2023 Ops. What is the bobbin class of your Pfaff 360?
@@themojolafamewo Not sure about a class name. As far as I can tell, it is a Pfaff only bobbin, if not a Pfaff 360 only bobbin.
@@NeverTooMany2023 Thank you!
Me encanta esta máquina,yo tengo una Pfaff 360,fueron de mis padres,a la familia no les importo,estaba arrinconada,yo lo mande a dar mantenimiento y está perfecta,muy apenada x no entender lo q habla y hasta en subtítulos no sale la traducción.Saludos desde Perú -lima
That is great that you have a Pfaff 360 as well and that it works well :) Sorry that the translation does not work out for you. Thank you for watching!
It does embroidery but sometimes it will seize up because I hadn't been used. I have one but my motor is going out and I haven't been able to find one
That's great. Thanks for the info. A lot of times, in my experience, if a motor is acting up, it just needs to have the commutator buffed/sanded to get the carbon cleaned off. Also, the carbon bushings could be in need of replacing. Both of which are super easy to do. Hope that helps :)
what's a good price to pay for thrift store find like that? I see some now and then but don't know how much work needs to be done on them. Love your videos😀
Thank you so much! Ya, it is always a gamble on these thrift finds. If we can, we always try to plug them in at the store and test them out. That at least rules out some of the possible issues. In our area the thrift stores will generally have sewing machines priced between 20 dollars and 80 dollars. I don't remember what we paid for this machine but it was probably about 60. The reality is that the folks pricing the machines at the thrift stores don't usually know anything about sewing machines, so they get priced all over the place. Hope this helps. Good luck hunting and thanks for watching!
Was wondering what the max stitch lengths on these machines are. Because I found a 260 and its only giving me like 1-2mm at most. Any advice?
Thank you for the question. Ya, I remember them not having a terribly long stitch length. As long as you have full rotation with your stitch length knob and nothing seems tight or bound up, you are probably using the whole stitch length. Not knowing the condition of your machine...it is possible that your adjustment knob is gummed up and not fully rotating and accessing the full amount of travel. I would take the top off and try to look at the knob mechanism and clean/lubricate it if needed. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
@@NeverTooMany2023 Great. Thanks for your message. It does turn all the way, but at number 4 it only gives me like 1mm stitch. Im going to take the top of. Thanks! :)
That base folds down for free arm sewing right?
Indeed it does.
Could your needle have been in the wrong position for the needle threader?
That is a great idea. I know they are pretty touchy with the needle position. Unfortunately, in our case, the little hook that penetrates the needle is broken off. Thanks for the help!
@NeverTooMany2023 darn! Well, I just subscribed yesterday to your channel. My partner doesn't understand why I have to collect sewing machines and it's nice to see your videos. I just got a 201 today. I still have a list of machines I still want. Happy sewing friends 😁
Awesome! The 201 is such a nice machine. Happy hunting and thanks for following along!
Hello what is the best 230, 260 or 360?
In my opinion, the 230 is the best machine out of these. It is super heavy but it runs incredibly smooth and strong. I love the looks of it and how well it sews.
@@NeverTooMany2023 thanks
I hate to see a machine used like that before it has been cleaned and lubricated, could possibly cause damage to the machine.
Thank you for the comment. If it had shown any signs of trouble I would have taken the time to clean and lubricate it first. I probably tested on it a little longer than I would have if I was not making a review video at the same time. Priorities are always a little different when you are creating content on RUclips versus just playing with machines on your own time. Thanks for watching!
How much did you pay for it,
It has been a while, but I think we picked it up for about 75 dollars