Thread: Should I overhaul my Singer 401A or purchase a Janome 2012?

I have my mother's 401a and is going to cost $179.00 to overhaul and put in good shape. I am planning on sewing crafts, beginning quilting, and some home decor projects. Should I have the overhaul performed or purchase the Janome 2012 (my price range for a new machine)?

Why pay someone to do this when it is fairly easy to do it yourself?

Try posting your question over on the Antique & Vintage portion of QB: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...thusiasts-f22/

Lots of knowledgeable people over there.

PS I've worked on three 401A's - they are not that difficult to work on.

Shari

I have seen that a lot of people are working on their machines themselves but being mechanically challenged... I think having it done professionally this time (it has never been worked on ) to get it in proper order I could then perform any maintenance to keep it going for another 50 years!

Why not buy a new machine and keep the 401. Then later you can get it fixed or learn to fix it yourself. Then you will have 2 machines (they are addictive).

This has crossed my mind...I hate to give up on such a quality machine. My daughter is going to be getting her first sewing machine and we are debating on a new product or buying a 401a. Depending on what we find and learn from these discussions.

Have you sewn on a vintage machine before? Or on a newer machine? My inclination would be to fix up the 401 as it is a wonderful classic workhorse that will last forever with reasonable maintenance, then buy a newer machine for your daughter when she is ready.

The thing is, it's like comparing apples and oranges and asking which you should eat. The vintage machines are wonderful, but they do not have current standard features such as needle/down, variable needle positions, etc. A newer machine in the price range you are talking about will have all those features but will not have the workhorse durability and reliability of the vintage machine.

I used to collect vintage Singers (and still have a few!), but I realized over time that the only machine I really wanted to use for serious sewing is my Bernina 1230. This is not the same situation as yours because my Bernina is a top-end machine, still not in your price range even after 15 years of use. The 401 was a top-end machine of its time too.

If I had to choose between quilting on a 401 and quilting on a Janome 2012, I'd probably choose the 401. However, that is really a very personal decision about what "feels" better to you, and what you enjoy using.

Thanks Prism99,
I have been sewing on and off on the 401 the last few years and learned to sew on the 404. I have to say that I am comfortable with the 401 and wonder if I am just being "seduced" by the high tech look and ease of the new machines.
After giving the go ahead on repairing the 401 earlier today, I actually called the repair shop back this afternoon and told them to hold off on repairs because I wanted to think about it over the weekend. I guess the deciding factor may be which one would be easier to quilt on...I made a table runner last winter and am now hooked and ready to tackle a bigger job.
Maybe the thing to do is to spend under $200.00 now , make sure quilting will be a part of my life , then spend the big bucks for a really nice machine?!

What needs overhauling on the 401 to the extent of $179.00? My 401 never needs anything but cleaning, oil and lube, and you can actually do that yourself. If you take it in to be serviced, it usually doesn't cost more than $75.00 in my area.

Originally Posted by piepatch

What needs overhauling on the 401 to the extent of $179.00? My 401 never needs anything but cleaning, oil and lube, and you can actually do that yourself. If you take it in to be serviced, it usually doesn't cost more than $75.00 in my area.

The needle bar is sloppy, skipping stitches and the thread is looping under the fabric.

Originally Posted by Gigigigina

The needle bar is sloppy, skipping stitches and the thread is looping under the fabric.

Skipping stitches/thread looping might be cured simply by a good, thorough, down deep cleaning of the bobbin area. Also, running dental floss back and forth through the tension disks has been known to clean them out a bit without having to disassemble the tension knob.

The needle bar is supposed to have sideways 'give' due to the designs offered by the cams and knob settings but an overly 'sloppy' needlebar might require taking a closet look inside to make sure a screw or two hasn't backed off a bit.

Too bad you're so far away from me otherwise I'd take a look at it.

Shari