What you will find here
Eight pages for the most common situation in home sewing: a machine that arrived secondhand, often with no manual and no box, that needs a needle, bobbin, foot or part today.
- Which needle, and what do the numbers mean? — The packages say 130/705 H and 90/14. Which goes in my machine, and which for my fabric?
- Plate says 16x231, 1738 (A) or DPx5? What to order — The plate on my machine says 16x231 (or 1738, or 287 WH, or DPx5). Nobody sells that number — what do I actually order?
- Which twin needle fits my machine? — Can my machine take a twin needle at all, and which spacing — 1.6, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 6.0 or 8.0mm?
- Which needle does your Brother serger take? — What needles does my Brother 1034D take? The box is long gone.
- Class 15, 15J, L or M? — No manual, one bobbin, and they all look the same in the listing. Which do I buy?
- Will prewound bobbins work in my machine? — Prewound bobbins are sold as Class 15 or Class L and look identical to mine. Will they work, or will they wreck the machine?
- Does "universal" mean mine? — The listing says 'universal, fits most machines'. How do I know it fits mine?
- Which Janome presser foot category is mine? — Janome feet are sold by category and by 7mm or 9mm. Which category is my Janome, and will a 9mm foot work on a 7mm machine?
- Which presser feet work with Pfaff IDT? — I bought a presser foot for my Pfaff and now the IDT won't clip down. Which feet actually work with IDT?
- What does a Singer Heavy Duty take? — I picked up a Singer Heavy Duty second hand. What needles, bobbins and feet does it take?
- Serger chewing the edge: adjust, or buy a knife? — My overlocker has started chewing the fabric edge instead of cutting it clean. Does it need a new blade?
- Is the fitted needle plate right for this stitch? — The machine came with two metal plates, or the one on it has a single small round hole — does it matter which is fitted? And I've just fitted the straight-stitch plate and now it breaks needles.
- Which Light Bulb Does My Sewing Machine Take? — The sewing light has blown on a machine I inherited and there is no manual. What bulb does it take, how do I get it out, and can I put an LED in it?
How the pages are put together
Every figure is traced to a document we opened and read, and that document is listed at the bottom of the page with the date we read it. We prefer manufacturer specifications, published standards and official support documentation, and we quote them narrowly rather than generalizing beyond what they say.
When a manufacturer's own compatibility list or specification settles which part fits, the page names that part and links the list, so you can confirm your model is on it. Where the answer depends on your exact model and nobody publishes it in one place, we say so and point you at the specification field to look up.
Corrections
If something here is wrong, tell us and we will fix it. Write to hello@plumberranked.com with the page address and what the correct source says.
Who publishes this
Linea Holdings LLC, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Contact Dustin Goodwin. The same publisher runs a small group of reference sites, which is why the contact address does not carry this domain's name.
Corrections
If something here is wrong, write to us with the page address and what the correct source says. We will fix it.