I would take it to a sew and vac and have it checked out.

Needles break after a while and you do have to use the right needle inserted correctly in the right direction, for the fabric and project.

You mention oil, and I hope you are using sewing machine oil. Your machine may be a self-lubricating machine.

All in all, you should read and practice the manual. I think you have several problems, some user error.

The throat plate should come off easily with the screwdriver provided.

Please don't buy a "Walmart Cheapie" She will be very unhappy with it. I would spend the money to take it to a repair shop and find out what the problem is. The older machines are the best. Colleen

What Colleen said.
Kathi

I third what Colleen said!
Susan

Under what circumstances do the needles break ... I break a lot of them because I sew across pins at high speed.

Other things to check - are the needles inserted correctly? Threaded correctly? Is the needle all the way in the holder? Is the bobbin holder all the way in?

It's worth taking it in for a clean and adjust ... the Walmart cheapie can't begin to compete.

If the machine is old enough to be non-electronic, it is definitely a keeper! I have an old Kenmore 158.121xx model, all metal levers/gears, no electronics. It does straight and zig-zag, that's it. It's a workhorse. And to think I got it from the curb on trash day!

If yours is like mine, you should be able to get the covers apart to get a drop of oil on all the metal-to-metal moving parts from the bottom, and also the top. On mine, the left side next to the take-up lever hinges open to oil the needle shaft also. There's a couple sneaky plugs with a screw hiding underneath, in various places also. If I pop those out there's a screw to undo.

If there's nylon/plastic gears inside, *do not* apply oil to those. If they need lube, it will be a grease-type that's safe for plastics. The wrong lube can soften the gears.

If oiled & threaded properly, but it's still breaking needles, perhaps the timing is off. A local mom & pop sewing shop can give it a tune up for a reasonable price. I enjoy tinkering, so spending a few hours figuring out how to get it apart was fun for me, rather than taking it to a shop.

If it's like mine, it probably beats the pants off a walmart cheapie.