Sewing machine squeaks

Oh no—the dreaded sewing machine squeak! Been there. First, don’t panic (or splurge on a new machine just yet). A few things to try:

Double-check the oil points – Some machines hide sneaky spots (like under the bobbin case or inside the handwheel). A flashlight helps!

Clean out lint buildup – Unplug, grab a tiny brush (or an old toothbrush), and dig out any fuzz lurking in the bobbin area or feed dogs. Lint + old oil can turn into sticky gunk that causes noise.

Listen for the squeak’s location – Turn the handwheel slowly by hand to pinpoint where it’s loudest. If it’s near the motor, it might need professional servicing.

If all else fails, a drop of sewing machine oil (not WD-40!) on the needle bar or presser foot lever joints might help—but go easy. Over-oiling attracts more lint.

P.S.: If you’re really over maintenance (no judgment!), check out Threadwhisper for pro tips or troubleshooting guides. Sometimes a fresh tutorial saves the day—or your wallet!

…But if you want an excuse to upgrade, we won’t stop you. 😉

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fafsasfaI've had my Juki since 2008 and I'd never give her up. She sews smooth, fast, never has tension issues and is fairly quiet.
I was given two Janome machines and I use them for embroidery or if I have the Juki set up for a particular quilt. I don't like the Janome machines as well. They seem to sew clunky and slow. The bobbin is difficult and I struggle with tension problems. I don't like the way the front of the machine case is really curved so you don't have a good, flat straight surface to stabilize what you are sewing.
I am in North Carolina but purchased my Juki from Pocono Sew and Vac. It arrived quickly and they were great when I emailed with questions. I have also ordered extra bobbins and feet for all of my machines from them.

sewingmachinebuffs.com/best-sewing-machine-for-leather-and-denim/

No, sadly, not in that sort of area J52. Nothing like that around here. And I tried contacting the only sewing machine repairer in the area, but it seems they're no longer in business.
To be truthful, though, I needed an excuse to get a better machine. The Toyota was quite limited in what it could do. I bought it at a time when my sewing was comprised mainly of dressmaking and household repairs, and it fitted the bill perfectly. Now I'm retired, I've become much more interested in other, more adventurous sewing, and it really wasn't up to it.
I did look at the JL ones - they do look very good for portability, great for a second machine as you say.

AshTree, do you live near a clothing manufacturing area? I had my 35 year old Brother machine serviced for £25 at an industrial sewing machine service and parts shop. Think garage for sewing machines!

It is heavy and I wanted something more portable, so I also bought a new one from JL. They were very helpful, whilst the lightest and cheapest, seemed to fit the bill, they were quite flimsy and probably wouldn't last long. Also, their range of stitches/ functions was limited.

I ended up buying a JL model that was made by Janome, at a reasonable price. It is not as good as the heavier one, but fine for taking to sewing groups etc.

Hope this helps. X

Janome is one of the makes I'm looking at suzied. The one I'm interested in is this one.
The other main contender is this Brother one
I'm also interested in the this Pfaff one, but the other two currently include a free quilting kit (walking foot, open quilting foot, extension table etc.) which is what I'm more interested in.
I would love to have a Bernina, but cannot justify the expense as I'm only a hobbyist needlewoman. But I love doing all sorts of needlework, patchwork, quilting, general crafts etc. I was just about to make a tote bag yesterday, all the pieces cut and ready to go, when the flipping machine died .

janome.co.uk/janome_products/model-525s/

This is the one which is a good basic model. Won the Which Best Buy sewing machine.

It cost me £90 to get my sewing machine serviced but it's an expensive Bernina and used all the time so well worth it. If you are looking to buy a new machine bear in mind you get what you pay for , a really cheapo plasticky one won't be as robust as some of the older metal machines. A good mid priced one such as the Janome one which won the Which best buy a couple of years ago would be worth a look.

But I've been looking at the various machines available now and boy am I impressed! I think I've made up my mind it's going to be a new one, just got to decide which out of a short list of 3

Petra thanks for the suggestion, but I tried that. I can't turn the mechanism at all, by the pedal or by hand. It is completely seized. I've taken the needle out and the foot, and even opened the case around the needle mechanism to try to move it manually, but no joy. It's as if it's been welded together! It's exactly as it was when I first bought it and had to have it repaired.
Before it seized, it was running but squeaking and try as I might, I couldn't tell if it was the needle mechanism or the shuttle that was making the noise.

Take the needle out. Take the casing off. Unplug electric, and turn over by hand. You might be able to see or hear what's happening.

My machine cost £58.00 to get serviced and that was about 4 years ago and now you can get new ones for not much more than that. New machine for you now though.

Thanks for that link Nellie. There is one near me, but to be truthful I don't feel inclined to throw good money after bad. I've had the machine so long and it's served me well, but I think sometimes you just know when to give up. I can't imagine it being under £50 for repair and I'd rather put that towards a modern lightweight machine.
Now I just have to do some research and figure out which machine will be best for me.

After I had my machine for years I eventually found a local man to repair it.

I spent ages on t'internet trying to find someone nearby and eventually came across. www.misterwhat.co.uk.

There are very few sewing machine repairers near me and several who are still advertised have closed.

had to

Well I just went in and tried running it again. Still squeaking away merrily. I thought I'd just ignore it, do the usual 'run the machine on a piece of scrap material to get rid of excess oil'. Then it completely seized up, with the needle in the down position, obviously, right through the fabric. So I ad to remove the needle and the foot to get the fabric out. Totally jammed, can't do a thing with it.
I bought it about 20 years ago, second hand, but from an old lady who'd had it from new about a year previously and had been too scared to use it (she'd always used a hand machine). It was seized then and I got it serviced, which cost me £25. So heaven knows what it would cost now.
New machine I reckon

I had my old machine overhauled/serviced. The machine is about 30+years old. It works okish now but I think I should just have got a new one because it is heavy and the new ones seem just so light in comparison. Perhaps because it is heavy it does plough on through most jobs. I would vote in favour of a new machine but being a bit chicken would probably hold on to the old one 'just in case'. Not much help really. Sorry.