How To Fix: Sewing Machine Needle Hits Bobbin Case

Last Updated on August 6, 2021

How many times has it happened to you that a sewing machine needle hits the bobbin case?

It’s really frustrating when that happens because sewing becomes difficult and your whole project stops because you have to fix the issue with your sewing machine first.

If this is the first time you’ve encountered this sewing machine problem, it can really get on your nerves, especially when you’re trying to figure out the root of the issue.

You may feel like you’ve done something wrong but in reality, this is a common sewing issue and there are ways of fixing it.

In this blog post, we’ll help you troubleshoot your sewing machine so the needle won’t hit the bobbin case anymore.

Why the Sewing Machine Needle Hits The Bobbin Case

There are three main reasons as to why the needle hits the bobbin case. It may catch you off-guard as it can suddenly happen while you’re sewing.

When sewing, the needle and the bobbin works together to create a stitch. When the needle happens to hit the bobbin case, its tip may break. Or the needle might entirely bend or break.

The needle is hitting the bobbin case because:

• You may have placed the bobbin case incorrectly.
• Your sewing machine is not synchronized, and so the timing is off.
• The sewing machine needle may be too close to the bobbin case

What To Do When The Bobbin Case Is Placed Incorrectly

It’s possible that during the last time you were doing maintenance in your sewing machine, and in particular, your bobbin case, you might’ve placed it back incorrectly.

It’s very important that you know how to align the bobbin case in its original position for you to avoid this issue in the future.

You will not realize that you have placed it incorrectly at first until you hear a loud noise and notice that your needle was either bent or broken from hitting the bobbin case.

It’s always a rule of thumb to stop whatever you’re doing and turn off the machine while fixing issues with your sewing machine.

Then raise the needle as high as it can be for your safety and for you to have easy access to the bobbin area. Gently remove the needle plate and the feed dogs, and then lower your needle to see where the needle hits.

Check for damage to the sewing machine bobbin case. If it is damaged, you should remove it and replace it with a new one.

Be sure that when replacing the sewing machine bobbin case you have placed it correctly according to your sewing machines manual.

If there is no damage done to the sewing machine bobbin case then continue on with steps below.

Reattach the needle plate and feed dogs back into position after checking their condition first before doing so. Place them carefully back onto the sewing area and be careful not to touch stitches while placing these parts of your sewing machine back together again. Replace the needle plate and feed dogs if they are also damaged or broken in any way.

If the needle has been damaged in any way, it’s always better to replace it with a new one as well to prevent any more damage and issues.

What To Do When The Timing Is Off

There’s a possibility that the cause of your sewing machine not having the optimal timing is because it’s broken, or it already has some issues or malfunctions even before you bought it. 

So the best thing that you can do to fix the timing issue with your machine is to have it be diagnosed by a technician, as this is potentially a very technical problem. But this move guarantees that your machine will be inspected and it’ll work better after doing maintenance, especially if you’re using a computerized sewing machine.

If you feel like you can do it yourself, you better have a service manual with you for your specific machine because you might need to rebuild the machine yourself.

What To Do When The Needle Is Too Close To The Bobbin Case

The sewing machine needle can hit the bobbin case, which is a result of not having enough space between them. You can manually adjust the sewing machine needle position so it doesn’t hit the bobbin case.

Some sewing machines have a timing adjustment that makes small movements in order to provide some more distance from the needle and the spindle, while others need adjustments through springs or gears inside of its body in order for there to be some more space so they don’t touch at all.

Some Final Words

If you’re sewing and the needle hits the bobbin case then you need to stop immediately so that it doesn’t break completely. Not doing so will lead to other sewing issues such as skipped stitches.

Remember to identify the problem first before you act on a solution. Follow the instructions above if you’ve identified the problem, and look for other useful guides as well from other sources on the internet and utilize your sewing machine manual to fix and troubleshoot any issues you may face.

Below is a video that may help you more with this issue. We hope that this guide helped you to fix the sewing machine needle hitting the bobbin case.

Happy sewing!