leaha

I have had 8 FWs down to just 4 now one black, and 3 repainted ones,( fushia, blue, and teal). I love, love, love color, I love taking them to retreats and such, so light weight, and nice and small, goes well in my tiny car, (a smart for 2) I had a white FW, and it had a short bed, did not care for it, but the 4H student I gave it to loves it! Just go with what you LIKE, try out several machines and see what fits you, machines come in all sizes shapes and colors, and even sounds, some purr, some sound like a big thrashing machine, some are easy to care for, some need an expert to fix any thing on it. Just try them out and see which you like, fits your budget, and if you have a fix it shop near by, if needed. The nice thing about the FW for me is that they were made so nice and simple that you can fix them your self. I have CD and book that are wonderful for info for keeping them in perfect running order.

cashs_mom

I'll bet it is a heck of a machine. Those old 830's and 930's were real work horses and they stitched so well.

CGS

Can someone explain the difference between the 201 and the 201-2? They seem to have been made for a good number of years.... what years should I be looking for?

Cari-in-Oly

201s come in 4 original variations. Treadle, hand crank, electric with an external motor and electric with a potted motor. A 201-2 is the variation with a potted motor. Any 201 should be a good machine to have.

Cari

Jeanette Frantz

I agree with Cari. I have a FW, and several other good machines. I love (emphasis added) the 201 -- it's great for quilting SITD! I'm just a rank amateur, but the only machine I think I would like to have to use would be a 301. Since I don't really need it, I'm using my budget for fabric! lol!

Aurora

I have a Featherweight I have never used since I purchased a 301. I used it four years until I purchased a larger vintage machine from my aunt. I still keep the 301 handy for a backup machine.

mac

I bought my first one on EBay for $225, just before Christmas. It arrived the day before and it was my Christmas present to myself. It ran great and I have been using it now for about 10 years.

If you are looking to save some money, a machine where the gold printing around the sewing machine is worn brings the price down a great deal. Your best bet to find one at a decent price is garage sales.

I purchased 2 from the same lady, who put up a sign at a senior center. One week later, she still had them for sale and I bought them both for $150. You just never know where or when you are going to find one (or two).

I love my Featherweight and I take it to class all of the time, as they are easy to carry and take up very little space. I keep my other one home and have it set up for sewing all of the time.

Sewnoma

I have several machines (vintage and modern) - my FW is a great little travel machine but I think it'd drive me bonkers if I tried to use it as my main/daily machine. It's adorable and quiet and works great, but it's very small and not very powerful - I wouldn't want to use it to try to do some of the repair sewing I do on clothing where a lot of seams join, for example. It's perfect for piecing some blocks while I'm relaxing on the coast, though.

Many people have mentioned the 301 and I agree, that's a great machine. I LOVE slant-shank machines, they are my favorite type of vintage machine to use. I also like the 400-series and 500-series of slant-shank machines, but those have more stitches so if you're looking for straight-stitch only, the 301 is what you're after.

The 99 I saw mentioned as well - that's another very good, solid, straight-stitch machine. That's a 3/4 size machine so it's a good compromise between portability and functionality. (the FW is a 1/2 size, 301 is full size) It's a lot heavier than either the FW or the 301, though, because it has a cast-iron body instead of aluminum. It uses the same motor as a standard-sized sewing machine so it has good power.

There are some real benefits to a Singer 99 - they are a lot more common than either the FW or the 301 and can often be found at VERY reasonable prices. The 99 uses a bobbin that is much more common than the type that the FW & 301 use. 99's also use very common external motors, and if you get one with a bad (or missing) motor or scary wiring they're easily replaced by someone with zero electrical knowledge. You can buy a pre-wired motor brand new and literally just bolt it on with a single screw. Done. Easy.

Close kin to the 99 is the Singer 185 - it's essentially identical to the Singer 99 but in an updated body style; these are also not terribly hard to find and some people find them more attractive than the classic black style of the 99's. They come in green and beige.

Annaquilts

On Craigslist in our area they are now $250 to $350, with the tan ones on the higher end.