To avoid breaking needles:

Use good quality needles.

Change the needle often, don't use a dull needle.

Use a needle that is the right size for the fabric and thread.

If the machine feels like it is working heavy or loud:

Dust or lint might be clogging or caught in parts.

Machine needs oiling.

A piece of thread could be caught in bobbin or take up lever.

If your fabric puckers when you sew

You have not threaded the upper part correctly.

Your tension is wrong.

Your thread is not correct for the type of fabric you are using.

If the thread breaks near the needle:

Tension is too tight.

Thread is too heavy.

Not threaded correctly.

Bad or Old thread (weak thread.)

Needle is not in correctly.

If your sewing machine skips stitches

Your machine needs to be cleaned.

Your needle is dull and needs to be changed.

The wrong kind of needle is being used.

Your sewing machine is making a sound but not moving at all

Check your hand wheel and tighten it.

Check and rethread bobbin and upper thread.

Make sure thread is in the take up lever.

Make sure your bobbin maker has been pushed back over to the sewing mode.

You Keep losing your upper and lower threads

Most likely you are not pulling your thread out long when you are done sewing and you are cutting your threads too close to the machine.