KenmoreRulesAll...LOL, I am intrigued about the Kenmore 1040 and will start keeping an eye out for one at garage sales.
The Singer 301 is my favorite sewing machine in our house - the vertical bobbin and slant shank are two really great features that I have come to LOVE! I bought her after asking for advice from our experts here and am so happy I listened!
Ila, as long as you don't mind that it only does a straight stitch, you couldn't go wrong with a 301 - it has a lot of space for piecing too.