Hand wheel very tight,almost can't move - Sewing Machines

Do NOT turn the handwheel the reverse direction.

If your machine is mechanical, most likely it hasn't been cleaned and oiled for a long time. Old sewing machine dries out and turns to glue which then prevents parts from moving like they should.

This web site may be helpful:

How to Oil Vintage Sewing Machine

Tri-Flow Synthetic Lube is very good because it has little teflon beads. It also does not dry out like sewing machine oil will. Then applying heated air from a handheld hairdryer will help loosen it.

Do NOT oil plastic/nylon, cams, or belts.

...

Test: Put needle on straight stitch. Put needle all the way to the left and turn the hand wheel forward.
Now move the needle to the right and do this again.
Did the hand wheel move all the way for one of the two sides the needle was placed?
If your answer is yes then you need to get the machine timed.
Also, make sure that your brake used for winding the bobbins is tight. If it is tight then loosen the small screw (usually on front of hand wheel). Move the brake forward a little more to tighten and then tighten the small screw again. Look at my picture.

1. Try to turn the hand wheel. Does the needle move?
2. Make sure the center wheel on the hand crank is tight.
Try the hand wheel now. If you still don't have luck try this.
3. Loosen the center wheel on the hand wheel. There is a small screw on the center wheel on the front or side. Loosen it until it almost comes out.
4. Now tighten the center wheel. (clockwise) Does the needle move if you move the hand wheel? If it does you can tighten the small screw.
5. If this doesn't do the job you will have to take the cover to the motor off. The motor has a bolt to loosen. As you loosen the bolt you can move the motor until it tightens the belt and makes it aligned as well. Run the motor slowly with the foot pedal and adjust the motor until it operates at it's highest speed. Now tighten. Replace all covers.
6. The belt is sometimes in need of replacing but not usual. You will know when you take the panel off.

The small box you will turn towards you while you hold the big handwheel. It might me very tight but it isn't going to break by turning hard. Tighten the small screw before you begin. When it is loose you can wind your bobbin.

With the wheel on you will have a 3 pronged washer, make sure that the screw on the stop motion wheel is unscrewed all the way, put the stop motion wheel back on ans tighten it hand tight only, tighten the screw in the stop motion and see if the stop motion frees off and then tightens again so the machine will work, if it does not take the stop motion wheel of again and move the 3 pronged washer in a different position and put the stop motion wheel back on again

You said the hand wheel barely moves. Is that all the time? If the hand wheel is hard to turn the motor is getting overloaded and is protecting itself by stopping and giving you the error message. You need to determine why the hand wheel is tight. There could be thread caught or something might need lube. These are non oiling needed machines however sometimes a linkage might need fresh lube.

Have you checked the bobbin compartment to make sure there isn't a thread-jam there? It can get so tightly snarled that even the handwheel won't turn.

contact the one you bought the machine from & tell them how
tight the hand wheel is & see what they recommend

Make sure the lock is tight. If it is even slightly loose, the wheel will spin without moving the needle.

On these machines, the shaft UNDER the centering wheel fits into a bushing, and this is what normally rotates. The wheel is fixed to the shaft. Penetrating oil needs to be placed UNDER the centering wheel but above the bushing. We solved this problem on two machines by saturating dental floss (the kind used to clean braces) with penetrating oil. Insert the floss UNDER the plastic wheel around the shaft, with the two ends sticking out the slot for the centering wheel. Then cycle the floss in and out of the area around the shaft. Let it soak and repeat. It takes some time, but it worked, and did not require disassembly of the machine. Greased Lightning also was used. Kithen grippers help with rotating the wheel.