Yoriko i use mines till he brokes
i use him very long now
i use needles from SCHMETZ these are special for embroidery and different sizes from the needles
hugs Sonja

Needles should be changed every 8 hours of use.

I change the needle when thread starts breaking or when stabilizer(or fabric) starts pulling up and not sewing smoothly. I try to make them last as long as possible.

I change mines when I remember and usually it takes a dense design to remind me...FIESTA ;D *2U

I use Schmetz and have been told repeatedly to change the needle after every 30000 to 50000 stitches or sooner if the thread frays and breaks. Actually I was told after every design, but on small designs with only a minimum or a FEW thousand stitches that is impractical and wasteful. Dense designs have to be changed more often, of course. Needle size and type depend on fabric, thread, and density.

Yes, it makes sense. You need to change it more often. You have been lucky that more designs were not ruined and your thread hasn't frayed. I was told after every design but I don't really do that unless it's a very dense design where the needle might get bent.

Organ needles tend to last longer. I usually change mine once a week when I take apart and clean my machine unless I am working on an expensive customer furnished piece of embroidery, then I put in a new needle so as not to be the reason to mess up someone elses things. I will save the one I took out and just put it back if it is still sewing properly and hasn't been used for the whole week.

I use the titanium ones, they last longer, too. Any time you're having trouble with a design, check the needle first. Even if it isn't that old, it could have become dulled for a lot of reasons. If your fabric is heavy, or your design heavy, the needle has to work harder to go thru and will dull quicker. A sharp needle punches a clean hole in the fabric and other threads of a design. As the needle gets duller, it's not poking such a clean sided hole, and the thread gets rubbed by the slightly 'ragged' sides of the hole, and starts to fray and break. I know you've been doing a lot of fsl lately, and that's just like a dense fabric, because you're putting so many layers of thread on top of each other, so that could dull your needle, too. I figure it's cheaper to put in a new needle more often than I think I have to (once a year is not good, hee hee hee) than to mess up a project and have to get a hair transplant because I pulled all mine out. Good luck, try those titanium (organ) ones if they're not too expensive in Australia. Hugs, Marji

I too have heard you should change it about every 8 hrs. of sewing. But I must admit I push it further! But soon as I get any breaking or shreadding of thread, I change it. I had another titanium one break yesterday. I had gotten the tail of a tee shirt caught when I wasn't looking & it broke, and I was able to salvage the shirt. But that needle was HOT when I took it off the thread tail it was still attached to, well at least half was still attached!

Yoriko, I have had the same problem in the past. It took me a LONG time to realize that the needle was more often, than not, the problem. Such a simple fix for a problem that pretty much sends you into a panic.

Yoriko, as nosneh said - about every 8 hours of stitching time - I can almost tell - just before the time, too. And if you are stitching something that is really dense - it might be even sooner. That is in my humble opinion. *4U

i use my needles thil they get broken or not embroidering good anymore then i change them,gr connie

if i have a lot of embriodery and i want to walk a way from my machine to do some other rhings i alway check my needle ...well check i replace if i know if it a old one i really have lots of losts because of this ....8 hours is my check point .....and i really don't know how to check the needle if it is fine ....does someone know???

I don't really know... in two years, I had to change 4 times ... one of which was broken due to mishandling !!! :o)

I change my needle after about 8 hours of work

You've answered your own Question Sweetie.

As soon as the thread starts shredding (ELNA) or breaking (DIAMOND), I change the needle. Instant fix! LOL!
I use Schmetz needles, always have, and they will stitch out around 150,000 stitches before they need changing.

And that amount is for FSL designs, normal designs I can usually get many more stitches from one Schmetz Needle.

If you want a good Bulk supplier, search the posts for supplies, accessories, you'll find some great Ebay sellers listed.
Hugs n roses, Meganne

I bought 2 packets of Bernina embroidery needles and it lasted only 2 weeks. They all broke? Bad quality or bad luck? Think I will also change to Schmetz. And I dont even embroider a lot. Do FSL angels.

I was told 8 hours is the maximum in using the same needle.

Was told at my dealer's that if things started going wrong while embroidering, the first thing to do is to change the needle.
It often works.
Jacqueline

It makes a lot of sense. I teach my students to change their needles for ordinary stitching, (clothes, etc) every 2 garments, or plus minus every 8 hours of stitching. If you have checked your threading and bobbin, and it still does not work, it usually is the needle that has gone blunt.
I also change my embroidery needle as often as possible. Needles are expensive, but it is worse when you have to struggle with embroidery that does not look good.
Hope you stitch real better with new needle now.
Hugs and God bless.
Marietta.

I know that we are all bad about changing needles....I was told it should be every 6 to 8 hours of use per needle.

SHAME ON ME !!!! I have been using the same needle for about 3 months !! I only ever change it if my stitching goes wrong - & thats not often - I use Singer no.11 and my embroiderys look the same as if I used a new 1 !!! I also use my machine for hours on end. I now may have Jinxed myself lol - I suppose i have just been Lucky xhugsxyvonnex

Yoriko,
I, too, use only Organ needles, and I love them. I was taught that one of the signs that the needle needs to be changed is when you have a lot of thread breakage. I think that your problem was solved whe you changed the needle. *4U

well I only change them if they are causing trouble or break ( by the way they never broke untill now)