Sewing maching needle size & breakage.

**Rug** · 12-06-2011, 21:04

When I got my machine professionally serviced, I informed her that I would only ever be using the Guttermans thread that I bought from DIY gear. She looked hurt and insulted but carried on. (I provided the thread at the time of service.)

When she provided me with my training, she told me that I needed to use size 90 needle. Based on threads that I have read here it sounds like that needle is too big. Is it or isn't it?

Also, it seems like I keep breaking needles. The first time was because I had the zig-zag stitch too wide (a '2' on my machine, but the machine goes upto '4'). All other times (6 needles busted so far) it was when I was just doing 'normal' stuff. Also for the record, I have been very gentle on the unit so I don't think it's my fault.

Suggestions?

**JohnSawyer** · 12-06-2011, 21:48

Larger needles are a must with thicker thread, or heavier fabrics.

The only time I break needles is when I'm putting too much lateral tension on the needle, causing it to bend and hit something internally...

Broke a few trying to push or pull fabrics through...

**NCPatrick** · 12-06-2011, 21:53

I broke needles until I finally realized that I was inadvertently trying to pull the material through instead of just very lightly guiding it. The needles were bending and then breaking. But surely that's not what you are doing.

Just my .02

**SunshineHiker** · 12-06-2011, 22:41

I've also broken a few needles in the pursuit of DIY. My experience is I tend to break them when I'm trying to go too fast and start pulling like NCPatrick (I get impatient with long stretches of hemming) or if I hit the needle on a pin too many times. One of the things I do is remove a pin just before it goes under the foot, ensuring that it does not interfere with my needle. Also if you're having bobbin issues and they break in your attempt to free your fabric, in which case it's a thread tension issue. This was my biggest problem until I learned that nylon is not anything like cotton and I couldn't treat it as such.

**dragon360** · 12-06-2011, 23:34

My needle breaks are similar to the above - forcing fabric through and bending the needles. I tend to use size 70 and 80 needles (even for my straps) and have had really good luck so far (with mara 100 thread).

**gmcttr** · 12-07-2011, 00:23

I usually use a size 11(75) needle on all of the nylon fabrics and even the straps when I get lazy. I should probably use a 14(90) on the straps. That is with the Gutermann Mara.

My breakage follows the above pattern...force the fabric and break a needle.

**Ramblinrev** · 12-07-2011, 08:39

If you ask 12 people about needle size you will get 15 different answers and depending on the people involved the potential for a fist fight exists. (Not on HF of course.) I like big needles because I can see the eye to thread the stinking thing.

Assuming you did not alter the throat plate on your machine a "2" zigzag is most definitively NOT the cause of the breakage. The throat plate is plenty wide enough to accommodate the setup the machine provides. Having said that... some older machines came with changeable throat plates for straight and zigzag stitches. Trying to do a zig zag with a straight plate will break needles every time but that should be very obvious.

The single biggest cause of broken needles is not allowing the feed dogs to move the fabric. Scan through the above posts and see how many times pulling the fabric bends the needle so it hits the throat plate or other working of the machine. Let the machine do the work. There is a fine line between providing tension to the work and pulling the fabric. With time you will discover that feel and it will become almost second nature. Until them... well... keep spare needles handy.