My Craigslist Bernina 1010: Restoration to Review
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A few weeks ago, I picked up a Craigslist Bernina. In the original advertisement, the seller listed the machine as being seldom used. Therefore, I knew Bernina 1010 would need some work. Since Bernina 1010 needed to be serviced, I got a good discount on the machine. Note: At the end of this article, there is a parts list for 1000 series Bernina machines.
Restoration first 🙂
When I first got the sewing machine home, I opened it up to check the condition. Let me me say: it wasn’t in perfect condition. The last user lubed the machine with a terrible grease.
I spend hours with a toothbrush cleaning away all the (chewing gum consistency) brown gunk.
Once the machine was 100% clean, I oiled Craigslist Bernina with Zoom Spout and applied Tri-flow to the metal gears.
Grease
By the way, Tri-flow is not readily available. When in doubt, make sure the grease you use (whatever the brand) is synthetic grease made with Teflon.
Timing and other fun stuff
To further service the sewing machine I checked the:
– needle position (great)
– timing (great)
– left, right, and middle needle positions (great)
– speed deduction unit (great)
Underneath the power switch is the original color of this machine.
Bernina didn’t have pearly whites.
The plastic on Bernina 1010 was yellow as heck. So, I dropped the yellowed plastic into salon peroxide and set it in the sun for a few hours.
This is the presser foot box after soaking it all day in salon peroxide.
Reassembly and sewing
It took longer to put my Craigslist Bernina back together than it took to take it apart! Once re-assembled, I was super excited to start sewing on my Bernina.
There was just one problem!
The foot control no-longer worked to control speed. (The black speed control dial, on the bottom of this foot control, didn’t work either). The carbon brushes inside the foot control were just fine. Everything made contact at the appropriate spots. So, I couldn’t understand the problem.
After looking thru online forums, I discovered a bad capacitor was the culprit. To fix the problem, the old capacitor would need to be removed so a new one could be soldered onto the board.
Arghhhhh.…
The solution was no good for three reasons.
- Capacitors were not easy to get due to store closures and mail delays (both during and after the lock down).
- There was still no guarantee a new capacitor would work.
- I needed the machine running ASAP. *(There was an upcoming deadline and my work horse had already gone to someone who really needed a machine).
When in doubt, do what’s easiest.
It ended up being easier for me to buy a new foot control. The new foot control was expensive, but it works great. In the future, I will work to repair the old foot control so I can have a backup.
First Sewing Job
I had graduation sashes to sew up for an upcoming drive-thru graduation at a local school. Bernina 1010 worked beautifully. It worked so well, it 100% justified my need to purchase another sewing machine. But, before I rave about how much I love my Bernina. I will gripe.
Dislikes about the Craigslist Bernina
- The fly wheel. The handwheel is small, shallow, and plastic, which makes it very hard to disengage the wheel for bobbin winding. I really wish the wheel had better ergonomics.
- The stitch selector window. Bernina stitch selector window is flimsy! It is made from (easy to bend, chip, or scratch) aluminum. This is bad because the stitch selector window must be popped up to gain access to the cam stack for maintenance. It already had one small ding in it. Then, I accidentally dinged the stitch selector again when re-installing (which I will eventually fill with a metal filler and repaint). It’s no big deal, but would have been a huge deal if I had spent retail MSRP for a brand new Bernina 1008. 😉
- Tight light bulb space. It is super hard to change the light bulb on this sewing machine. It requires a tool. But, even with the tool, you need to apply pressure to release the bulb. Once again, this tasks is hard for someone with arthritis, carpel tunnel, or any other aliment.
Likes about the Craigslist Bernina
I love the :
- Stitch quality. The stitch quality on this machine is good. Even better, all the stitches are built-in (unlike my vintage machine with design cams).
- Gears: Bernina 1010 is belt driven. Despite this, the machine stands out from other domestic sewing machines. On average sewing machines, the motor belt goes directly from hand wheel to motor bearing. As a result, you get occasional motor belt slippage (moments when power is not properly distributed from motor to machine). Because of this problem, you have to use the handwheel to “help” the average home sewing machine go thru layers.
I haven’t had to “help” Bernina 1010 because of its configuration. Bernina 1010 has 3 belts and multiple gears to better distribute momentum from motor to machine. Since the gears’ teeth catch the motor belts, there is no slippage. This allows the sewing machine to utilize the motors’ full power, for extra strong piercing and maximum performance.
- Build quality: she is built like a tank. Nice and sturdy.
- Needle plate: I love the needle plate on this machine. No plastic to scratch and very clear markings.
Luckily, the machine came with many feet. #37 was the only foot I needed that didn’t come with the machine.
- Presser feet: presser feet are nice and sturdy (unlike the snap-on kind). Also, I don’t have to worry about using a screw driver every time I want to change feet!
- Light on or off choice. I like being able to use the sewing machine with the light turned off when it’s sunny outside.
- Speed: I was able to sew up the sashes at top speed without a problem.
Was Bernina 1010 Worth it?
Yes 10000%. It’s
- Mechanical (easier to self-service).
- A work horse with beautiful stitch quality.
- Extra belt gears (for better power distribution)
- Fewer plastic internal parts
- More sturdy presser feet
- Multiple built-in stitches and button hole capabilities
- More portable than my Emdeko, which means I can travel with it.
- Sews super fast for quick project completion
By the way, Bernina 1010 weights 19.5LBS
Regrets?
I regret not having the option to buy brand new. The used price for this machine was excellent! But, the machine was 30 and hadn’t been serviced in a very long time. Before making this purchase, I tried new machines out at a dealership. But, I disliked the computerized features and wasn’t willing to spend so much money on something I wasn’t happy with purchasing.
If I had purchased a Juki 2000qi or Janome HD9, I would have still needed a second sewing machine for sewing buttons and performing other tasks requiring the use of a zigzag! Without a dedicated sewing space (As of May 2020), I knew having two main machines wasn’t going to work. Once I saw the Craigslist Bernina 1010 and its affordable pricing, I knew it was the best option. She has a few dings and scratches on her. But, she sews beautiful! So far, Bernina 1010 has been a blessing and I hope to sew on the machine for many years to come. Hope you enjoyed this review.
Replacement Parts List (with clickable links)
Motor Belts: Upper | Timing | Lower |
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9 Comments
Leave a response
Dear,
How much did you pay for this Bernina?
Best regards,
Ellen
$450 was the price from the Craigslist seller. In January, however, I found the same sewing machine (in better condition with more attachments) from a seller on offer up for $300 🙁 They don’t come up for sale often. But, when they do you gotta get them.
I also found a Bernina 1010 on craigslist a few years ago. Mine was $300, no manual & only one foot, but it did come with a table. It was a school machine, as I’ve read this model was made for schools. The guy I bought it from had bought it from a nearby school & made one set of curtains, then sold it to me. It’s in pretty good shape, and I love some things about it , also. One thing I don’t like is not being able to adjust the presser foot pressure myself. The Bernina shop told me not to try to get the hood off it or I would break it. I believed them as I had a heck of a time trying. So I paid for it to be serviced, but they forgot to adjust it for quilting thickness, so still same problem. I now have a Kenmore I can adjust myself, so I can quilt with that one. My White doesn’t adjust easily either. I guess the dealers can’t afford to pay a technician full time if they don’t have work for them, so they made the machines harder for the owner to service themselves. :p
It isn’t true that you cannot open the Bernina 1010! Bernina just makes you jump thru extra hoops to open up the machine because they don’t want you to work on the machine yourself. Instead, they want you to spend a lot of money to get it serviced. The White sewing machine also opens up…you just have to know how to do it.
By the way, HOW did you get the hood off to service it, anyway? And, thanks for the post.
Bernina 1010 is like an onion because there are layers you must uncover in order to get inside the machine. First, remove the visible screws on the back of your machine. Then, get a screwdriver and take off the screw caps to the invisible screws – remove those. Afterwards, go to the free arm and remove the screw caps and screws. There is also one hex tool needed to remove the bump that holds the table in place. Then, look underneath the machine and remove two screws that keep the back plate from coming all the way off. Next, you’ll need to put a plastic spatula underneath the on/off switch and pop it up. Then, you’ll have to take a Philips screw driver and remove the first screw to the hand wheel. The plastic wheel cap will come right off. Then, there are two screws underneath, which must be removed in order to get the rest of your handwheel off. Next, look underneath the machine and unscrew the last screw that prevents the side plate from coming off. There will be a metal back plate. (If you have a divided back plate and/ or stuff coming out of said plate, don’t take it off!!!) If it is a single plate, however, only remove screws holding the plate onto the frame of your machine. Otherwise, you’ll be in trouble. I hope this helps.
I bought my 1010 for $20 about 8 years ago. It had also been used as a school machine in Brisbane, Australia. The students certainly had abused it cosmetically, but functions beautifully.
Thanks for telling me how to crack into it.
Where did you buy a replacement foot control?
I have created an updated parts list inside the article for your convenience. You will be able to find a link to the foot control there.