Serger repair. Should I?

[igthebold]

I borrowed a friend's serger to see if it was worth buying from her. Turns out after I got it all threaded up that the needle bar is loose. I've read that it's a bit touchy, so I should get a professional to do it.

Is it worth my trying to fix it myself, or is this really something I should leave to a professional?

If it matters, it's a (Pfaff) Hobbylock 786.

[kisserofsinners]

Sewing Machines always need adjusting. Learning how to do it yourself will save you a bundle, There's tons of videos online. Basic machines don't need expensive tools, not so sure about sergers. The trickiest stuff is little screwdrivers (like ones used on computers) and needle nose pliers.

[Zaga]

If it's just a loose needle I'd try to do that myself.  I love my serger, I hope you get good use out of this one!

[igthebold]

It's the needle bar, the chunky bit that holds both the needles. I haven't dug into it yet, but I would like to have a working serger handy.

[anastrophe]

Have you tackled this project yet? Do you have the manual or (better yet) a service manual for it? My experience with successful sewing machine repair is limited to treadles and simple electric machines, but my thought is that if it's the needlebar, you'll have to make very sure the timing is correct afterwards, and I think sergers are more complex than ordinary sewing machines in this way. Personally, I would try, but expect the worse. But it's already broken, so why not try?