15 vs 201

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02-20-2012, 06:24 AM

#11

ShirlinAZ

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Join Date: Oct 2010

Location: Prescott Valley, AZ

Posts: 1,329

My Mom got her 15 in 1936 while my Dad and his brother, who lived with them, worked in the mines. Mom mended the men's work overalls as well as making baby clothes on her 15. During the war they when we had rationing in this country, they went to Mexico and bought denim by the bolt. She made everything from jeans to jackets, even wool lined coats, on that machine. The 15 will easily sew through 4 layers of denim for jean seams. It's just as strong today as it was in 1936.

02-20-2012, 06:52 AM

#12

Charlee

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Join Date: Sep 2009

Location: Idaho

Posts: 6,442

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShirlinAZ

Shirl, what a neat story!! Thanks for sharing that!

02-20-2012, 07:09 AM

#13

aggiebears

Member

Join Date: Jan 2011

Location: North Texas

Posts: 76

I don't have a 201 but I love my 15. I put her through a lot. I love sewing with denim and she never lets me down. Nice and quiet as I can use her in the next room when my son is asleep in his room ( and he is a light sleeper).

02-20-2012, 09:47 AM

#14

jlm5419

Super Member

Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: My Sewing Room

Posts: 1,180

I have a 15 clone, but haven't sewn much with it yet. the motor needs some attention, it is not a potted motor like a Singer 15. I also have a late '70s model Kenmore that uses class 15 bobbins, and it stitches beautifully. My 201 also stitches beautifully, although it does occasionally have tension issues.

02-20-2012, 10:27 AM

#15

KatFish

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Join Date: Mar 2010

Location: Indiana

Posts: 2,062

My 15 clone sews just as good as the Singer 15-91. The clone has a cute easy lever to drop the feed dogs so I don't have to flip up the machine to turn the screw like the Singer. Both are great for FMQ.

02-20-2012, 12:37 PM

#16

janeite

Junior Member

Thread Starter

Join Date: Dec 2011

Posts: 108

I think it is very interesting that so many have mentioned tension issues with the 201. Has anyone tried to fix it?

When I first got my 301 my tension was crazy, so I took apart the tension unit and put it back together. It wasn't dirty or anything so I don't know what the deal was. Apparently giving it the stink eye and then putting it all back together was what it needed. Also, the bobbin case was acting so crazy- finally I put my 221 bobbin case in there instead, since they are the same, and I realized it was definitely not my machine, it was the danged bobbin case. I ended up taking that tiny little screw out that you turn to adjust the bobbin tension. Put it back in and adjusted a bit and voila, perfect tension.

02-20-2012, 03:59 PM

#17

miriam

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Join Date: Mar 2011

Location: Somewhere

Posts: 15,507

they are both good machines. If I still had the 201 I guess I would park it next to the 15 and see which one I use the most - which one is the go to? What other machine do you have? What bobbins do they take. I like machines that the bobbins can interchange.

02-21-2012, 05:20 PM

#18

purplefiend

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Join Date: May 2010

Location: Round Rock,Texas

Posts: 6,135

Quote:

Originally Posted by janeite

Oh another thing, is the 15 as quiet as the 201?

I treadle both of mine and the 201 is much quieter than the 15. I like the 201k for piecing, the 15-90k(had a motorectomy) I like it better for Free motion quilting.

My 1936 Singer 201K was an original hand cranked machine, that soon became a treadle after I wound the first bobbin. I didn't like it when I first got it as the tension assembly would fall off and fall apart after about 10 minutes of sewing. I later found out that the screw that holds it all on from the back wasn't an original Singer screw and was too short. Now that my OSMG has provided me with the correct screw, its my favorite treadle machine.
Sharon W.

Last edited by purplefiend; 02-21-2012 at 05:28 PM. Reason: added more text.

02-21-2012, 05:25 PM

#19

BarbaraSue

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Join Date: Jun 2011

Location: near Peoria Illinois

Posts: 1,638

I'm sure the 15-91 would handle just about anything you try. I was quilting with a walking foot, and I somehow was able to break the walking foot clear off at the screw to the post, did not break the needle (?), and the machine just wanted to keep on going!! I stopped of course. Still don't know for sure how I did it. But 15-91 is a workhorse.

02-21-2012, 08:39 PM

#20

kitsykeel

Super Member

Join Date: Sep 2010

Location: Salisbury, North Carolina

Posts: 1,046

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlee

I have both machines, both potted motors. To be honest, I prefer my 15-91 to the 201-2. Couldn't tell you why, other than I have had no tension issues with the 15, and I had to fight that 201 every stitch of the way to a good seam. Most likely NOT the machine's fault, someone had messed with the tension before I got it. When I got the machine, the seams puckered terribly. It took a lot of adjusting to finally get it right, along with several repeated swear words and even a couple of tears of frustration. I now associate that machine with those things!

Even so. Both machines are quiet, hard working machines. Both have a beautiful stitch now, and both are pretty machines. Seems to me, other than a small difference in size, the main difference is that the 15 has a vertical bobbin while the 201 has a drop in bobbin. The vertical bobbin has worked better for me for FMQ...I still get eyelashes when I try to FMQ on the 201, and with other machines to use, I let her have her way and only use her to piece with.

Hi Charlee,

First I want to say how nice it is to see a face and a real name when I read your posts. It feels so friendly and personal.
Second, what is a potted motor and what are eyelashes?

Kitsy