New Singer 237 Fashion Mate
 

I was just given this Singer 237 by a lady that had bought a new machine and just wanted this one to go to a good home, instead of just throwing it away. (Gasp!!) I have not been able to test it yet, but she said it worked, other than the bobbin winder being a bit persnickety. It looks quite clean, so far, although I have not yet looked underneath or into the Bobben area. I am tickled, though. I researched t a bit yesterday here on this board, and also online, and it seems to have a decent reputation. This one had belong to her grandmother.

The bobbin winder may just need a new "bobbin winder tire" - it's a small rubber doughnut that is easy to replace and can be bought fairly inexpensively on e-bay or through several dealers. (I found e-bay to be the least expensive)

I liked the machine well enough to acquire four of them.

It has an excellent satin stitch and can sew through several layers of heavy denim.

It seems to me that this is one of the models that were used in schools. Nice machine. The rubber ring can even be had at Walmart....

Great model sometimes a little under powered. I have one too!

I have one and it does a nice satin stitch.

There's a review of one here. Something of a rave review, in fact. You've done well :thumbup:

Thanks, it is good to hear others' experience with these. Bearisgray, it did need a new bobbin tire. It was hidden, and I didn't find it until I took off the top for the cleaning. I have put a new one on.

Manicmike, I had read that review yesterday, too. That one, and the one on Sew-Classic, and some on here, sounded good. And I figured I couldn't go wrong with it being free, ha!

The bobbin it had in it is a real cheap, flimsy thing. I will have to get a decent one to really try the machine, I don't even want to run it with this thing in it.

Also, bigger issue, I am pretty sure something is wrong with the tension set up. The little metal dish-type-disks that sit face to face, and that whole inner part of the knob, is very loose. I need to find info now on what a tension set up should look like, and how to go about doing something about it. The thing I am concerned and especially puzzled by is that the silver rod that inserts into the machine from that tension knob is very loose in itself, and I can't figure out how one could adjust that part. I hope it isn't hopeless. If anyone has ideas please let me know. In the meantime, the machine is clean, greased, and waiting for me to figure something out.

I am afraid to even bump it at this time, and will clean it better later.

I have checked the tfsr site, but don't think it is the same type of tension... I am not finding a good one for teaching me about what this should be like.

give me a few minutes i'll dig up my fashion mate and post a pic.

Tammi made a real nice video about the 201 tension - it would be pretty much the same - check out her video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzFX...AyBQ2l-Mzkw7ew