Brother Sewing Machine foot pedal replacement

If you are like many people who enjoy sewing, you probably rely pretty heavily on your sewing machine. Unfortunately, sometimes your sewing machine will stop working. Instead of panicking, you will want to find out the source of your problems. In many cases, the problem won't be with the sewing machine itself - it will be with one of the mechanisms of the sewing machine, most notably, the foot control. You can certainly take the foot control pedal to a professional sewing machine repair expert, but you will likely be charged a hefty price. Instead, you may want to try the less expensive route first and attempt a repair on your own. It is probably much easier than you would believe it would be.

Gathering Supplies

Because you probably won't know what is wrong with the foot pedal until you take a closer look, it can be a good idea to collect a few supplies. Everything you need can be found at any local hardware store. In most cases, the culprit will be loose or broken wires, which is fairly easy to repair. In order to find out what the issue is in your case, you will want to take the panel off of the foot control.

Before you start, make sure the machine and the foot control are unplugged and not receiving power from any other source. In order to remove the panel, you can open it by using a flat head screwdriver or slim knife. You usually just need to pry open the corners of the pedal to reveal the wires and boards inside.

Investigating the Source of the Foot Control Problem

One of the first things you will see when you take the panel off the foot control is the wires. Some of them will be soldered to others or to other parts of the controls. Others will be loosely connected. You will want to look closely at these wires to determine if there are any that are broken or any that look out of place. If you see a broken wire, that is probably the cause of the problem right there. If you do not see wires, they may be under the circuit board. In this case, remove the circuit board with a tool; usually a Philips head screwdriver will do just fine.

Now, if you notice that there are wires that are broken, the remedy will be to solder them back together. In order to solder, which is very easy and can be done by almost anyone, you will need to keep just a few things in mind. You can use a soldering gun or a soldering iron for this task. They are fairly affordable when you buy them online and will certainly be less expensive than a professional repair. In addition to the solder gun or iron, you will also need solder. Make sure to only use rosin core solder for this task.

If the Foot Control Still Doesn't Work

It is possible that the soldering did not repair the problem. Though broken wires among the most common sewing machine issues that users might face, it certainly isn't the only one. Unfortunately, other issues are not as easy to repair, and they should only be attempted by a professional repairperson. That being said, it may be in your best interest to skip the repair altogether and simply buy a new pedal.

You will probably find that buying a sewing machine foot pedal will be even more affordable than a repair. This helps to make the decision easier about buying a new one versus a professional repair. The only exception being that if you have an antique sewing machine, the repair may be more affordable than a new pedal. Make sure that the pedal is compatible with the sewing machine brand and model that you are using if you choose to buy a new pedal.

Buying a Foot Control for a Sewing Machine on eBay

If you find that you need to buy a new foot control for your sewing machine, you will find that eBay has hundreds to choose from. You can also, of course, find all of the supplies you will need to repair your foot petal on eBay as well. There are many sellers who have sewing machine foot controls available, but not all of them will be wise to buy from. Before you buy anything on eBay, it is recommended that you take a little time to do some research.

The first thing you will want to do is to read through the item description. It doesn't matter what you are buying - from a brand new sewing machine to a replacement pack of solder, you will want to take in all of the possible details you can. When you buy a foot pedal, you will want to be certain that it will work properly with your machine. Additionally, determine whether or not there are any special types of foot pedal that may be more to your liking as you shop. It is best to invest in a quality, useful item that will give you many more years' worth of use than to pick up the most affordable option on the market.

Other information that you should check out includes the shipping details. Some sellers will offer free shipping on their items, while others will want their buyers to handle the shipping cost. Another thing to take into account is the length of time it will take to ship. If you need your item quickly, expedited shipping may also be available - look for product listings with the "One Day Shipping" label.

Another thing to look at is the return policy. This can certainly come into play should you have any issues with your item. Again, some sellers will accept any and all returns, some will only do exchanges, and others don't like any type of return policy.