Singer 6110 came into my life well… before I was born. Singer 6110 is older than I am.
Interestingly enough, Singer 6110 was purchased by my mother in 1982 in this very state. That is interesting to me because my father was in the Navy and we’ve lived quite a few places. It may not be interesting to you. I sometimes live a sheltered life.
So, Singer 6110 has been around 26 years in this family. Singer 6110 became my sewing machine officially three years ago when my mom bought a new machine. A few months ago, I finally had it serviced and sliced up some fabric into squares for some attempts at this “sewing” deal. As a side note, rotary cutters are Way. Fun.
Let’s go back for just a moment, to the days of yore when I was a young thing and my mom was Way Into Crafting, Particularly Sewing. If you had asked me I would have told you mom HATED sewing. She always cursed at her projects. She complained about never being able to sew anything straight. (As a side note, she never owned a rotary cutter until a few years ago-probably would have made it Way Fun for her then). Long story short-that All Changed when the new machine came into her life (it’s a Brother, if you wonder). And thus beings my trials with Singer 6110.
They say all machines have a personality-I would have to agree. Singer 6110 is a man. A man that jerks you around, has sudden mood swings, and anger management issues. He snarls thread. He eats fabric. He bends his needles at a whim. It has been a nightmare trying to sew anything with Singer 6110. For example, the tension was too tight. One assumes that by adjusting the tension knob a bit might help fix the problem. In fact, it does not-it Makes It Worse. Which, by Singer 6110 standards, is Improvement!
Since I’m 98% sure that I am into this Sewing thing (the growing fabric stash seems to be an indicator) but I’m not yet ready to make a sewing machine purchase of Immense Proportions, I think I’m going to be looking into a small, somewhat inexpensive model to get me through the lean months and provide enough power for all I’m able to sew at the moment-straight lines. And someday, maybe someday, I can pass on This Future Machine to my daughter safe in the knowledge that it will not bring the kind of pain to her life that Singer 6110 has wrought upon that of my mother and I.
September 21, 2008 at 12:10 pm
What a great posting about the Singer 6110. I laughed as I read it. A lot.
I, too, have a Singer 6110. I recently bought this “beast.”
Do you have the manual? I can’t find the manual anywhere and prefer not to pay rip-off prices from the online sources.
Would you be willing to scan it and email it to me?
I’d really appreciate it.
Marge
October 7, 2008 at 9:09 pm
I have a new-to-me Singer 6110 with a manual but no tension dial. I would be happy to scan the manual for you. Do you have any information about a machine repair shop that would carry the tension dial?
March 21, 2010 at 10:08 am
I know nothing about the tension dial of your sewing machine. I have the same machine and don’t know how to adjust the tensions. I would absolutely love a copy of your manual. I appreciate anything you can do.
October 30, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Hello! I, too have a Singer 6110. I recently bought this second hand machine but there’s no manual. Would you be willing to scan it and e-mail it to me?
We’ll very much appreciate it.
Thank you.
Marianne
November 5, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I too have the beast without a plug though I bought it for my student sewing class and don’t have manual, could you please scan and email. Thanks
November 10, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Yet another owner of the 6110 here! I believe if my Mom still had the manual, it’d be with the machine. Sadly it’s not
So if there is a wonderful person scanning it in, I too am interested in the manual.
November 12, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I too need the manual. If you could scan it to me to, I would so much appreciate it. I really enjoyed your posting.
Thanks,
Marlene
November 13, 2008 at 9:52 am
Hi all-wow I never expected so many of us to all have the same beast! Sadly I do not have the manual for mine. Perhaps this is part of my problem? Because it came from my mom she gave me the run down on how to use the thing. I wish you all luck on finding it…
January 1, 2009 at 1:12 am
Do you still need this manual? I have the original . . . my local sewing machine-inventor guy down the street convinced me to keep mine rather than get a new one. He says the older ones are better built and will last longer. You can also service them yourselves or get them serviced, which you can’t really on newer ones because they are made of all plastic that you can’t get into! So the newer ones are more “throw aways”. He gave mine a tune up and it sews beautifully. Just thought I’d see if I could inspire any of you . . .
He even had parts in stock for mine. Singers are great, but they need to be tuned and serviced every once in a while, just like all older appliances.
March 23, 2010 at 7:50 am
I have the same machine and don’t know how to adjust the tensions. I would absolutely love a copy of your manual. I appreciate anything you can do.
May 10, 2012 at 7:27 pm
would love a copy of the 6110 manual thanks linda
January 19, 2009 at 9:51 am
My mother just gave me her old 6110 machine but the manual was lost in the moving shuffle.
I would really appreciate it if someone could email me a copy as well.
Thanks!
Diana
January 26, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I have a 6110. I took it to get fixed and the guy wants 119.00 to fix it. Do you think I should spend that money or put it to another machine? Should I give him the machine for $20.00 and let him use it’s parts. The minimum loss I have to spend now is $40.00 to have him tell me what needs to be fixed? Do you think that is fare?
Also I have a manual.
February 3, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Thanks for the chuckle, I too am a 6110 slave and pretty sure I will be for a while yet since I just started sewing.
Does anyone have a copy of the manual that they have scanned? Could someone send it my way – I can’t even figure out how to oil it and it is really sounding bad.
Thanks if someone has a copy of the manuals (s) to spare!!
February 3, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Lizzie,
I think 119.00 is alot of money to fix the 6110! When mine breaks I am going to get a new one. Just my thoughts.
Thanks everyone for the laughs about the 6110, I just got mine and just am starting to use it. When I brought it to class my instructor told me to get the manual out and oil it (sounds like a missle when I stitch) LOL…
If anyone has the manual could they send it my way? I would really appreciate it, so I could oil and understand my 6110 gremlin??
Lizzie let me know what you do, theres so many really beautiful and reasonable machines out there!
Thanks for the chuckles everyone – and please let me know if anyone has a copy of the manual they could email.
Lisa
February 3, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Oh my sorry gang double post … I think I need to oil my computer too!!
March 19, 2009 at 11:10 pm
I want the manual too!!!!
Please. Before all my hair is gone.
Renee
May 19, 2009 at 10:33 pm
I just got one of these. A manual would be amazing if anyone could email it to me as well?
It worked fine until I bumped one of the nobs, now I have no idea what is wrong with it?!
Angela
May 20, 2009 at 11:43 am
Did anyone ever find the manual for the 6110? Sorry, I am not very experienced with blogs, so I don’t know if any of the requests/comments were answered. Desperately seeking manual for Singer 6110, though. HELP!! The manual I do have is all graphics, no words, and I’m not following it too well. Main problem: bpobbin thread keeps bunching no matter what I do to adjust tension, needle, whatever.
July 6, 2009 at 11:57 am
Hi again, no luck here on the manual I guess.
Now my beast is starting to bunch up on me!! Lisa K have you fixed your issue I am in the middle of a quilt and stuck now.
Lisa
September 16, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I also have a Singer 6110 and no manual. I need to know how to thread and rewind the bobbin. I have been doing it by hand! If someone can scan and send me the page on filling/rewinding the bobbin I would be so thankful.
September 23, 2009 at 2:59 pm
me too! i was given a 6110 with no manual. i have only used one machine my whole life and really only learned to use that one, so sadly i have a perfectly operational machine and no idea how to even THREAD it! even if i cannot get the manual, it would be awesome if someone could type out how to thread it
it would at least let me find out what personality my machine has.
October 8, 2009 at 6:50 pm
My Singer 6110 keeps getting stuck in reverse or “idle”. I don’t know what to call it. The needle just goes up and down and the fabric doesn’t move… or it goes backward.
I don’t have the manual and i am a newbie. I want to sew!!!
October 8, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Not sure if you got an answer on how to thread the Singer 6110. First, put the thread spool on the post. Then put the thread thru the little metal looking hook (attached to the bobbin winder tension) on the top of the machine (directly above the tension dial), then wind the thread around the tension dial, making sure the thread is behind the metal piece on top of the dial, then the thread goes thru the take-up lever (the metal bar that goes up and down when the machine is sewing), then thru the circle-shaped metal piece right on top of the needle, then thru the needle front to back. Lower the needle once into the bobbin case and pull up the bobbin thread and move both strands of thread towards the back of the machine and you are ready to sew. Hope this makes sense.
October 8, 2009 at 7:24 pm
And also, to thread and wind the bobbin just put the plastic bobbin on the metal post in front of the thread spool post. Pull thread off of the spool and put the thread thru the bobbin winder tension (the metal circular thing directly on top and next to the take-up lever), then put the thread thru the bobbin. Push the bobbin towards the piece of flat metal directly in back of the post it sits on. Then loosen the hand wheel knob (the smaller circle of plastic inside the wheel knob) all the way. Then push your foot on the pedal and the bobbin should wind. You know you have it right if the needle doesn’t move up and down while it is winding.
October 10, 2009 at 11:48 am
To Minerva, Sounds like you need a feed dog gear set. SewingPartsonline.com has them very reasonably priced and I received mine in two days! They also have an online instructional on how to replace it (FREE) Now I also could use a manual for the beast. Can anyone scan one to me? Thanks
October 10, 2009 at 11:51 am
To Lizzie, what is wrong with the machine? There is a good online website Sewing Partsonline.com and they have parts and even video tutorials on replacing parts.
October 18, 2009 at 4:38 pm
i also have the ever-so famous singer 6110 but don’t have the manual, sounds horrible i think it needs oiled and i don’t even know how to thread it so a manual would be a life saver! if anyone out there would send it to me I’d love you forever.
April 27, 2010 at 4:56 pm
I to have just received the Singer 6110 without a manuel. Would anyone want to email me or mail one to me.
Bobi
October 24, 2010 at 5:00 pm
My sister bought a singer 6110 without a manual and she don’t know how to put it in reverse, I told her it should be easy, now I fill dumb because I couldn’t figure it out. Can you scan and send me a manual and tell me how to put it in reverse?
April 3, 2011 at 7:45 am
Ha i’ve been reading through these comments…has anyone been able to tame the elusive Singer 6110??
In terms of your question, though, I don’t think this machine sews in reverse. Instead, I just stop, lift the presser foot, sew forward in the other direction, stop, turn around again and keep sewing.
As far as my sewing machine-probing has deduced, that’s the only way to go in reverse…
Hope it helps!
Also, that PDF of the manual would be great to have if anyone’s actually managed to get it!
February 2, 2011 at 2:59 pm
i inherited a singer 6110, i used it a couple of times and it limped along, but now it won’t sew, i don’t think i am threading it write
the machine is a beast,
please if you have a pdf of the manual, help!
April 28, 2012 at 8:56 pm
Hello users of the Singer 6110, I also have the 6110 and I removed it from the cabinet years ago to take it to my mom. She has pass away and I can’t get the machine back in the cabinet. I need picture of the hardware and how it is attached. I would be very thankful if someone would help.
July 6, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Read everything first before attempting installation.
The machine/cabinet combination came with a threaded metal bolt that looks like a “bent L” if the threaded portion is pointed up while looking at it, and the tip of the “L” will be bent slightly downward. Along with the mounting bolt there should be a one inch diameter flat washer with a hole in the middle and a threaded wing-nut that fits the bolt.
Under the 6110 there is a short black metal bar going from front to back near the center of the machine, and it will have a hole in the vertical part of the bar in the middle.
The wing-nut and washer should be removed from the “bent L” mounting bolt before installation. The tip of the “bent L” mounting bolt fits into the hole of the metal bar under the 6110, the bolt hangs down, the threads should be pointed away from the 6110, and that part of the bolt goes through the folding seat inside the cabinet. NOTE: The “bent L” tip will only go in properly if the long portion of the bolt hanging down is closer to the foot than the right side of the 6110. Insert the tip of the mounting bolt pointing toward the right side, the same side as the hand wheel knob.
Flip the seat into place within the cabinet, make sure it will support the weight of the 6110 properly, and position the threaded portion of the bolt under the 6110 so it hangs down and goes into the hole of the seat.
With the folding seat holding the machine in place and up, and the bolt sticking through the hole in the wooden seat, from underneath the cabinet slip the flat washer over the threads, carefully twist the wing-nut into place, tighten, and you’re done. To make it easier to install the washer use a little masking tape over one edge to keep it tight to the bottom of the wooden support so you don’t need a third or fourth hand. NOTE: It might feel hard to turn the wing-nut because there is something on the bolt to keep the wing-nut from coming loose.
WARNING: Be sure the wing-nut is tight enough to hold the machine in place, or the 6110 might twist in place and could jamb inside the cabinet. If it does carefully reach underneath the cabinet, position the 6110 so it sits normally, and tighten the wing-nut.
Yes … I used to be a field service technician and wrote service and installation manuals for very complex electro-mechanical machinery in the computer industry when I worked at a manufacturing plant, but I don’t have any specific experience with sewing machines. I’m only here because I’m trying to find out why my wife’s 6110 isn’t working, and I removed her 6110 from the cabinet to see what was wrong. I think some of the internal gears are broken, so my next search is for a service technician or a parts supply company.
Now … if I could just find a good job writing service and installation manuals.
May 8, 2012 at 7:15 pm
dial above the onoff button, push center while sewing for reverse.
March 13, 2013 at 8:50 pm
If anyone has a copy of the manual, id like a copy to use withmy 4-h kids and adult sewing classes