Bernina 830 Record

 When I worked in Queensland, I asked my boss what is the best sewing machine ever made? His immediate reply was Bernina 830 Record. Fast forward a year or two and I've moved back to Melbourne. I'm friends with a sewing machine mechanic (Gordon Carr) who has worked as such since a young man in 1960. I asked him the same question and his immediate answer was also Bernina 830 Record. Both of them considered longevity, repairability and reliability. 

An 830 record in understated magnificence

As a person who also sews, I can add ease of use. These machines are the central bobbin (CB) type which can handle the widest variety of different thread and fabric. There have been, and still are, thousands of CB machines on the market, but these are different. How can they be better than the others?

1. They're quiet. The manufacturing tolerances are very tight. Unlike other CB mechanisms, these machines don't rattle. The bobbin, bobbin case and shuttle all fit in perfectly and everything works with no problems.

2. They're reliable. The 830 was the result of evolution of Bernina records, starting with the 530 in the mid 1950s, continued through the 730 (from 1963 to 1971), then the 830.  My ex boss had all sorts of machines as trade-ins, but would only sell on the 830s because he didn't want to fix a second hand machine under warranty and he had 100% confidence that he would never see any of the 830s again.

3. They all have a knee lift. Previous record models either don't have a knee lever at all or it was for operating the motor. That said, there were some from about 1969 on that had both a foot controller and knee lift, like the 830.

4. They have an easy five step buttonhole mechanism. The 530 and 730 had a buttonhole mechanism but it wasn't as easy to use as the 830s simple numbered dial.

5. Very sturdy. In March 2022, a lady came into the shop in Queensland with her 830 (that I happened to have sold her two months earlier). It was in her basement when the floods happened and was submerged in mud and water for three days! Gareth looked at the mess inside the case and to my surprise he said "yes that shouldn't be a problem". Afterwards I questioned his confidence, so he said that I could work on it. A bit over two hours later the machine was like new again! I doubt that another CB machine would have even survived such a trial, but for the Bernina it wasn't a problem.

You will find a lot said about these on the Internet. They keep their prices very well. I sold one in Melbourne for almost $1,000 in 2023, when other machines were hard to sell. You can buy a brand new Janome MyExcel for $599 but people will still spend much more on a 50 year old machine. The buyers aren't rich idiots.

Common problems and solutions

Pattern gear broken

The nylon pattern gear 

Problem: The 830s pattern gear is nylon on a steel shaft. Over decades, the nylon shrinks and the gear cracks. The symptoms of this start with a slightly tight spot in the pattern cycle. When the crack widens, the needle starts swinging at the wrong spot, breaking needles.

Solution: Fit an aftermarket gear. You can buy them from various places, but I would advise avoiding random ebay shops. Get one locally and it's more likely to work. Some of the cheaper ones are either 3D printed (these do not last) or the tolerances aren't good enough (they're either too tight or too sloppy). These are the Rolls Royce of sewing machines, so don't use cheap parts. If you really want to DIY, the service manual is available as a download on both the vintage Bernina Facebook group and the groups.io Bernina BTS group.

Capacitor explodes

Problem: There is a capacitor pack connected to the motor. Capacitors don't last forever, and when they fail, they usually explode. The explosion is accompanied by the release of smoke.

Capacitor pack is here

Solution: Remove the motor and the inside cover, and you will see it as above. You can usually tell when a Bernina capacitor pack is starting to fail. They swell then crack. The crack gets bigger, then the action starts. Occasionally the capacitor will fail without any signs, but this is very rare. If your capacitor has just exploded, you can remove it in the very short term if you need to finish a job, but it should be replaced. The proper way to replace a failed capacitor is to buy a like for like one from Theodor Bastberget in Norway. If you don't want to spend that much, or wait until it arrives from Norway, you can just make one for the motor only from a 0.1uF X2 polypropylene capacitor from your local electronics store. You can cut two of the legs from the failed capacitor for the connectors and use shrink insulation. This is what I do. If you don't have a capacitor between the motor wires, there will not only be interference (which affects digital signals too), but the motor brushes will wear down much more quickly, and will deposit a mess of grey carbon on the motor's armature.

Can't access the patterns

Problem: Either can't move the selector to get a pattern or it's stiff and the patterns don't work.

Solution: Open the top cover and you will see this mechanism at the end of the selector lever. The two pronged part that moves is clogged with stuff that needs to be removed. Brush it with methylated spirits, move it then brush the part you just moved. Once it's clean you will be able to easily move it between the two extremes and it won't stay between them. At this time, a drop of oil or two where it moves will ensure that it keeps working. 

Stitch type selector 

Belt slipping

Problem: The belt slips

Loosen the Allen screw

Solution: You need a 4mm Allen key. Loosen the screw, tighten the belt and then the screw. Just be aware that the rule is to make the belt as loose as possible without it slipping. 

Vertical gear

The vertical gear is hard to access

Problem: The vertical gear is broken As it says in the caption, these are hard to access. Thankfully this problem is relatively rare. I've only seen a couple of broken ones.

Solution: Same as with the pattern gear, get a quality part for DIY or get a sewing machine mechanic to do it. This is a lot more difficult than the pattern gear. Neal Iund made an excellent video on doing this for the 730, but the 830 instructions are the same, as are the gears themselves. I think that there are some that are different but these only apply to 730s.

Top cover won't open

Problem: You have to apply a lot of force to open the top cover, and once open it's floppy. 

Solution: There is a small sliding part under pressure from a spring that moves when you lift and close the cover. The problem is that over time stuff accumulates and glues it to one spot and it won't go back. When you force it, it goes back and stays there, resulting in the floppy cover. 

The top cover's catch

You can get this back to normal by brushing with methylated spirits and applying some pressure. It is much easier as usual if you heat it a little first, which softens the goo. Push it back, brush with metho and forward again. Repeat until it's very free. In my experience it doesn't take much effort or time. There's another one of these keeping the needlebar cover closed.

These machines are always worth fixing. For an old machine they command a large price for very good reason. Test one out and you will want it. Good machines will make you actually want to sew.

Necchi Supernova

 The Necchi Supernova is probably the best value old machine you can currently buy but only if you’re prepared to roll your sleeves up and do some hard work.

Supernova Ultra

They have a few problems that I see on almost every example that hasn’t been used for many years. They can be brought back to working like new.

When working properly, they are as smooth and quiet as a Bernina 830, and have the advantage of using fairly standard high shank feet and the bobbin shuttle moves left to right with the needlebar, so the stitches are just about perfect. The manufacturing tolerances seem as high as the Bernina, making them extremely smooth and quiet. Unlike Berninas, the cams in Supernovas are all removable, so you will never get the problem of a broken camstack. 

The Power Supply

This is more complicated than your average 1950s sewing machine. They have a transformer, several switches and a capacitor, whereas all other machines of the '50s have a motor and light directly powered by mains. The capacitor, as with other machines of the era, is a source of problems. It is a capacitor pack of three (2 x .0025 and 1 x 0.1). You can safely remove it but there should be a 0.1uF polypropylene capacitor between the motor terminals. See the picture for how I did this on my free arm Supernova.

New capacitor attaches to the two non-earth motor wires

This capacitor does two things: Eliminates electrical interference and reduces the sparking between the brushes and the motor’s armature. In fact the reduction of the sparking is also what reduces the interference. The interference affects all radio frequencies, including digital TV. The reason that you can’t easily bypass the transformer is because the light is 12VAC. The bulbs used for Supernovas are identical to the festoon bulbs used in cars. You can’t use modern LEDs because they require a DC voltage (non-LED festoon bulbs can work with both AC and DC). They fit but the amount of flicker is unacceptable.

The other two problems are both the result of dried additives from lubricants. 

Generally, warming (with a hairdryer, not a heat gun) will soften the dried gunk. Once it is warm, brush it with a mix of methylated spirits and mineral turps (I use a toothbrush) or spray with methylated spirits. You may need to repeat this several times.

The Hand Wheel

The most common problem seized part is the hand wheel.

This is usually seized

Even if you can easily turn it, removing it is usually much more difficult, and you will find that when you undo the stop motion screw (on the hand wheel) to wind a bobbin, the needle still moves as though you hadn't touched the screw. If this is the case, warm it then attack with chemicals. If you still can’t move it, I have a custom tool for removing sticky hand wheels, which isn't very complicated (but it's a lot of work if you only ever use it once). It’s a spare solid stop motion knob that has been drilled and had a thread tapped.

Hand wheel removal tool

A bolt is threaded through this. After applying heat and chemicals, if it’s still too tight, screw the tool on and tighten the bolt, and the hand wheel should come straight out.

After this you need to disassemble the parts of the hand wheel. Soaking in those same chemicals for a while is a good way to loosen them up. After they’re separated, clean the surfaces thoroughly and lubricate with clean sewing machine oil. It should go back on easily and when the stop motion knob is released, the wheel should spin without the needlebar moving.

The Zig-Zag Bar

The last of the ‘sitting around for years’ problems is that the zig-zag bar is often seized. If you change the needle position and the needle won’t move, you have this problem. The solution starts with the knowledge of where it’s seized. It’s almost always at the zigzag pivot next to the needlebar (see photo).

Zigzag bar is behind the needlebar

Freeing this one up is not easy. Before you start, you must remove the black zig-zag bar at the front of the machine, which is held by a clip at the bottom and a screw at the top. Don’t lose either of these. Now heat the bar, apply chemicals and work it with a large screwdriver or pliers. Don’t apply much force or you will break or bend something. It might take a while to loosen this but it will come good eventually. Don’t forget to reconnect the zig-zag bar afterwards.

That should be all that was holding you back. Treat the rest of the machine with the chemical solvent then oil everywhere metal slides against metal.

When it’s freed up, lubricated and the power supply is working, you should be able to sew a fantastic stitch. These are quite fast machines, and have a slow speed switch. The slow speed applies a lower voltage to the motor via the transformer.

When I mentioned how great these are to one of my mechanic friends, he said he didn’t like them because the castings are sometimes a bit roughly finished. That is such a minor thing that it shouldn't put anyone off.

If you’re prepared to do the work yourself, Supernovas can be picked up for as little as $50, but be aware that it will probably have all three of these problems.

Other Advantages

They usually have an embroidery unit, which not only affects the zig-zag of the needlebar, but also the stitch length. These were not at all common in the 1950s with the Elna Supermatic being the only other machine I can think of that was this advanced. Berninas couldn't do this until the 1980s.

They usually have a needle threader. I can't think of any other sewing machine in the 1950s that had a needle threader.

They are central bobbin machines. This means that they can sew the widest variety of materials of any domestic sewing machine. Bernina's awesome 830 record is also a central bobbin machine.

They usually have a semi-automatic buttonholer. For the 1950s, I think the Elna Supermatic was the only other machine that could do this. The Necchi has a cam set on a lever that looks like the brake lever from a bicycle. It has five positions, and moved from left to right, you would be doing 1. bar tack, 2. forward zig-zag bead (left), 3. reverse straight stitch, 4. forward zig-zag bead (right), 5. bar tack. When making a buttonhole, there is a special foot for measuring the length and you should thread the hole in the bobbin case finger. This ensures the result will be very neat on top.

Nearly all Supernovas are flatbed machines, but there are some free arm machines around. They're pretty rare and are significantly lighter than their flatbed sister.

Freearm Supernova Ultra