20 Most Recent Singer Merritt 8734 Questions & Answers

Hi Debbie, This type bobbin case can be a pain to get back in. On photo #1, at the top left you see a silver piece (circled in red) with a rectangular hole in it (circled in green)...take a flat head screw driver and insert it into the slot then twist to the right so the little bar/flange (circled in blue) will twist to the left past the bobbin well wall (marked in neon green). Photo #2 Now the bar/flange (marked in blue) should be on top of the bobbin well wall (marked in neon green). Now set the bobbin case in the bobbin well (marked in pink). Photo #3 as you set the black bobbin case in, kind of angle the flat part that is marked by the orange X so that it will begin to underneath the bar/flange with large orange circle. It won't go in all the way but just start it and then set the rest of the case down in the well. Now twist the entire black case to the right and the flat black are marked with the orange (X) should slide underneath the bar/flange marked with orange circle. The flat piece marked with a purple (X) should be sitting in the area marked with an (X) in the bobbin well. Now take your screwdriver and stick it in the rectangular box and twist it back so the silver piece marked in blue with go back over the edge of the black bobbin case to help hold it in. Hope you can understand my instructions and good luck!

the manual for this machine is available at- http://homeappliance.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/singer/8734.html

You can find your manual here (Singer Support): Instruction Manuals

check that the thread is between the plates and not behind them thread breaking can be from wrong size needle eye, poor quality thread , old thread and needle/ eye timing

Difficult to say. The machine should have enough power to stitch fabric. Could be a problem with the foot control or the motor or multiple other issues. Is the machine mechanical (NOT computerized)? If so, could need a good cleaning and oiling. If old oil has solidified and is freezing the moving parts, the motor would be straining so that any resistance (fabric) would prevent the machine from operating. Do not try to force the motor to operate as it could damage the motor. Consult your owner's manual. Use ONLY fresh good quality sewing machine oil. Do NOT oil any plastic, rubber, or belts. Open the top cover and the free arm cover and apply 1-2 drops of oil every place that metal rubs on metal. (Slowly hand-rotate the handwheel and watch where things move. Is the handwheel resistant to turning? If so, indicates something is holding it back. Does the oil loosen things? If so, you are probably on the right track.) If the machine is not mechanical or you continue to have issues, might be best to take it for service. ...

In the meantime, you can pick up a standalone bobbin winder at the fabric store (or Amazon) for ~$25 US to wind your bobbins. Saves wear and tear on your machine and you also won't need to unthread your machine to wind a bobbin.

Check your needle, check your threading, remove bobbin and put it back into the machine

If you will go to the Singer Sewing Machine site, and enter "parts list" in the search box, you can download the parts list for your machine. To replace a part, you need the parts number. I'm going to give you the direct link to it below. You will find the belt on page 13, #50 - Drive Shaft Belt, part #421035-001. Chances are, that belt goes on many different models of machines, and it is likely that it is available. Go to Singer Parts Online, and either email or call them to see if they have it or can get it for you. http://parts.singerco.com/CPpartCharts/8_89999/8734_8834.pdf

Download the instruction manual for your machine free at the Singer Sewing Machine site. It will tell you how to do that.

Breaking needles is not an indication that your timing is off. If you are breaking needles, the most common cause is inserting your spool of thread so that the little notch on the spool that holds the loose end when it is not in use and when you first purchase it is facing your thread path, catching and holding up the thread and causing the needle to break. Another problem might be inserting the flat end of the needle improperly; generally, on modern machines with the bobbin system in the front, the flat part is inserted towards the back of the machine. You MUST have a user's manual; if you do not have one, go to the Singer site, and you can download it free.

See if you can just turn the plate half way around after thread is through it. Could be the wrong plate for that machine. Sounds like machine could have been dropped in the past and knocked it off center if it is the proper plate.

try this link for a free manual http://www.singerco.com/uploads/download/672_8734-8834.pdf

Hi! Just to clarify, are you saying that the needle CLAMP--the thing that holds the needle in place--is no longer holding the needle firmly? If so, the screw is most likely stripped, and that can happen over time. A new clamp can be ordered and you can easily install it yourself; if you take the screw entirely out, the whole thing should slip off the shaft, allowing you to slip on the replacement. A good place for parts is www.sewingpartsonline.com. I looked there under your model number and that part is not listed, but if you will give them a call, they will be happy to order it for you--they are very nice people to deal with. It is also quite possible that a clamp that will fit your machine is listed under another model number, and it already in stock. It generally takes two weeks or less to get a part, though, and needle clamps are not expensive at all..

You must thread your machine with the presser foot UP, and here's why. There are disks that face each other on EVERY sewing machine; that is what applies the tension. Those disks are spread when the presser foot is UP to allow the thread to pass in between them. When you put the presser foot DOWN, the disks come together again and apply the tension. You will only feel tension on thread with the presser foot down.

Jackie, it's hard to troubleshoot with so little info, however, if your top thread appears to be loose and "going all over the place," check to make sure that your foot is UP when you thread it. With the foot up, the upper thread tension disks are spread, so the thread can go between them; when the foot is down, the tension disks close with the thread between them, so that the machine can exert and regulate tension on the thread.