Old Bernina 830 walking foot not pulling item through.Lever not letting foot down completely but can push it down the rest of the way with my fingers

Which Bernina 830 are you referring to? (Yeah, it was crazy of Bernina to use the same numbers to identify different models...). There is the old Bernina 830 Record and the new computerized Bernina 830.

Have you tried rethreading the machine? If so, be sure to ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot. Verify the thread path is correct.

yaeh

It sounds like you are trying to attach a walking foot to your machine. Usually when you install your waling foot the needle clamp screw pushes against the lever. This lever is spring loaded. To avoid fighting the spring you can lower the needle into the hole on the walking foot and then attach the foot to the ankle.

Have you followed the maintence standards (oil schedule). If not
that may be the issue. A wild guess (at least this was the issue
recently with wife's older White machine. The foot lever was catching on the thread cutter device. Otherwise, perhaps a screw has come loose somewhere in the lever and or foot. Good luck. Double check your manual troubleshooter section.

There are a few problems possible. Assuming that there is not a mains (house) power problem, use the following logic to sort out the problem:
1. Do you have a light (assuming that the light bulb is good)? continue to #2.
2. With the machine unthreaded, the presser foot up, and the power cable plugs fully plugged in at the motor and foot control, depress the control to the run position.
Carefully bend and wiggle the cables at the plug locations one at a time. If the motor runs, the cable wires are damaged so you will replace the cable.
3. If available, try a (known good foot control) from another Bernina 830 of that exact vintage.
If the test foot control runs the machine, replace your foot control. Note: If the foot control is a type 213 for very old models, suggest that the control be replaced with a two wire electronic phase type control. (requires the foot control plug end to be cut off and rewired to the new phase controller). These electronic phase controls can be purchased from EBAY. Stay away from the Bernina type 213 control if possible. The type 213 controls have not been available for many years and it is highly likely that these controls are in a used condition, so you will not know if it has been properly adjusted.
If the 830 is a later model machine with the type 232 or 290 foot control and it is determined to be defective, no problem as they can be repaired.
4. If the (known good foot control) still does not work, you can assume that the motor has a problem. Motors for the Bernina 830 are occasionally available on EBAY and other sources.
Note: If the motor brushes have worn out and the commutator has been damaged, the motor is also salvageable.
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Note: Always unplug the machine from the mains power when not in use as per Bernina instructions.


SewTechnical Home

contact a sewing machine repairer(Bernina authorised )for the part number and part availability and possible cost for repair.

if you have a automatic buttonhole , then you should have a buttonhole lever that you have to pull down, before you start to do the buttonhole,, my machine will not let me do a buttonhole unless I pull down the buttonhole lever

Try this site:

http://www.devicemanuals.com/guide/Sewing%20Machine/Bernina/BERNINA-830-Sewing-Machine-Instruction-Manual-==TVRVMU16Y3c=.html

there is a board inside the foot pedal that goes out sometimes you can check this by flipping the foot pedal upside down and at the top right there is a small hole where you can adjust the speed with a flat head screwdriver but be gentle it breaks easy, if its out you can take it to a bernina dealer and they might have a reapired one or they can send yours off for repair since that part is repair only