Riccar super stretch manual

At least that is what its about us section, mission statement, and vision statement imply. The style of marketing is unique and certainly, it does not capture a large portion of the sewing machine market. It is enough to carve out a little niche so the company is not overwhelmed with orders and the quality of their machines declines.

While still making sewing machines, the number of units is not as great as say Brother, Janome, or Juki. Then why it changed from being a major Japanese sewing machine manufacturing company to a niche factory is something the company seems to keep quiet. The problem this business strategy creates for its customers is that if anything goes wrong, it is hard to find a qualified and approved repairman to fix the machine. There is news that Riccar is owned now by the Tacony corporation but that ha snot been confirmed as yet.

That ownership may be limited to the Riccar vacuum cleaner company. As far as anyone can tell, their sewing machines are still being made in Indonesia. That is where their head office is and where their sole Indonesian distributor is. There are rumors that the company has stopped making sewing machines, but according to their sewing website, linked above, they are still in production.

The company is as tight-lipped about its manufacturing factories as it is about its more recent history. If the rumors are true, then Tacony corporation may be producing Riccar sewing machines at their own plants. The real question here is not where they are made but what is the quality of the product? For their vacuum cleaners, these products are top notch and described as world-class.

With many used sewing machines on the market, that level of quality seems to extend to their sewing machine lines. No matter where they are made, Riccar sewing machines enjoy a good reputation and are popular with many professional seamstresses. Then as we have already said, the limited purchasing options helps the company maintain its high standards and keeps their machines from going the way of many other sewing machines.

There seem to be quite a few of the older Riccar sewing machines up and running. As we have previously said, the company focuses on quality and not quantity thus their machines do last.

The company may not produce volumes of these individual models but there seem to be a lot of them still on the market and ready for you to use them. If you want a list of other models that may be vintage, the list does not separate the Riccar sewing machines, just click on this link. The ones many seamstresses like are the , , and the R models as they seem up to the task of heavy-duty sewing demands. If you are not interested in vintage models, just click the link to the company website and scroll to the bottom of the page.

There is a list of modern models made by the company. Or you can click on their products button and see what they are making today. At eBay, we found 3 different super-stretch models on sale.

One was the , another was the E and the last one was the Super Z Stretch machine. All three looked in good condition, and working order. The had a button that you pushed to move the needle up or down and it came with a lot of accessories. Then the E came with about 25 stitches patterns and other features that made it a very versatile device.

Finally, the was a simply designed machine with few stitch options. But that simple design made it easy to use. Only one came close at approx. Their age may have been the telling factor in their low value. Other than that these machines still seem to perform well even though repairs may be hard to find. Each of the machines has its own special features that helped set them apart from each other and made one better than the rest.

We are impressed by the quality of the machines they produce and the high standards they apply to their production. The focus on quality has produced good machines that do stand the test of time. Each model has its own unique feature that helps make it a stand out machine. Plus, their simplistic designs allow beginners to learn how to use them quite easily.

Also, we have not heard of any complaints about the Riccar sewing machines or other products. The only real complaint has been about the lack of authorized dealers and access to repairmen. That business model does not affect the quality or performance of the machine until it does happen to break down.

Overall, these machines are probably comparable to their more famous counterparts and you are not losing anything by going with this brand of sewing machines. The craftsmanship looks good and these machines are not ugly in any sense of the word. The trick is finding the one that is right for you as Riccar does make several models. We have given part of our review above and from what we have been able to find out you are not going to be disappointed if you choose a Riccar over a Bernina, Brother, Janome, or other top brand sewing machine.

These machines come with the features most sewers need and for their level of sewing expertise. The simpler models are great for beginners learning how to sew and their sewing projects results should be enhanced by using a Riccar. Then the company on its products page not only lists the different classifications of their sewing machine models, but they also list the available spare parts.

That means for your multifunction, overlock, embroidery, and other Riccar sewing machines you can order parts you need quite easily. The one drawback to their website is that they do not have a checkout page or a cart. How they handle sales may be done by using their contact page and asking them. Other than that drawback, we do not see that these sewing machines are inferior in any way to other brands. Their goal of quality over numbers is commendable and helps us view their sewing machines quite favorably.

Once you do that and the handwheel is still stuck, then check the tension of your upper thread to see if it is at the correct setting for the thread and the fabric you are working with. Often when those two solutions do not work, you may need to turn to a skilled and licensed professional to get the machine unstuck. It is better to let someone who knows what they are doing fix tough repairs because you may damage your machine further if you are not sure of what to do in solving the problem.

Again, you need to look at the usual suspects here. If you are having some tension problems check to see if the machine is dirty. Loose thread, lint, dust can all accumulate in the bobbin area and throw off your tension setting for the lower thread. If your machine is clean you can check your settings to make sure they are right for the fabric and thread you are using.

A little adjustment on the tension dials or screw will solve that issue for you. Also, you need to make sure the tension between the upper and lower thread is balanced. If not then make the right adjustments. This may be a problem for some sewers as they think their adjustments may add to the problem and not solve it.

If in doubt ask a local sewing machine repairman that you trust to handle the task for you. Being safe is better than causing more expensive repairs. It seems that different Riccar sewing machines can use the needles made by other brands.

When you are having needle problems, it is usually caused by the needle being dull, bent, or broken. Also, your needle may be inserted incorrectly. To solve those needle problems, you just need to replace it with one of the many available online or at your local store. Pfaff universal needles, Schmetz, Singer, Viking, and even Denim brands can be used in the Riccar sewing machines.

The way to check on your needle is to simply pull it out and look at it. When you re-insert the needle or its replacement make sure to get it fully inserted and placed in the right direction. Some parts stores say that many Riccar sewing machines take a class 15 sized bobbin. But on a compatibility list, it says that most Riccar sewing machines take an L-Style bobbin.

The bobbins for some of the Riccar machines will be metal so do not substitute a plastic one or you will be causing yourself some more sewing machine headaches.

To avoid simple sewing machine issues, make sure to wind the bobbin properly and make sure it and the bobbin case are inserted correctly into the machine. Those last two steps are also a common mistake that messes up your sewing time and stops your machine from performing as it should. Then check your bobbin winding switch to make sure it is back in the sewing position before you start to sew. This is not hard to do but what makes it difficult is making sure not to over oil the different parts.

Each sewing machine is a little different so do not assume your new one will be oiled in the same manner as your older model. Sometimes those directions are in the front of the booklet and sometimes they are in the back. Then the next temptation to avoid is saving money on the sewing machine oil. It is not good to buy cheap or low-quality sewing machine oil as that may gum up your machine, make it run slower, or damage the machine by making the wear and tear worse.

Once you get the hang of oiling your sewing machine the task will run smoothly and quickly without issues. Some manuals do not provide any words on where to oil. They just say look for the arrows and oil there. When you are in that situation, just ask a repairman where the oiling points are on your Riccar machine and then follow those identifications. Just use 1 drop of high-quality sewing machine oil for some Riccar sewing machines.

That was the direction given in the manual we looked at. Check yours to see if there are any different directions than what we saw. Avoid over oiling your sewing machine as that will harm the interior parts and even stain your exterior parts. The machine does not need more oil than you are directed to use in the manual. Also, use high-quality sewing machine oil and protect your machine.

It is easier to list or provide links to the different online parts stores that carry Riccar spare parts. The Riccar machines have a lot of parts, too many to list here. The first place to look will be this online parts store , and its landing page has separate categories for different parts. Next up is to contact the company itself as its sewing machine division has a page on the spare parts it has available.

Just click here to get to that page. Another good source for Riccar sewing machine parts is found at this link. Their list goes by model number so just click on the model number your machine is and watch to see what parts are on sale.

The prices for the same parts may vary from company to company so spend a few minutes comparing prices to make sure you get the best deal. Plus, double-check their shipping and handling costs to make sure your lower price is not made up by the company with that fee.

You should be able to find light bulbs at those parts stores as well.