Follow up to "Son bought me featherweight"
 

The machine came and it' s adorable. Unfortunately the bobbin winder was broken in transit, and the current is 220, not 110. I'm not sure if that was made clear to him or not. I got a voltage booster, but it still doesn't work well. The light dims and the machine runs very slowly. Anyone have any suggestions for me? I've tried to contact the eBay seller, but so far have had no response.

If you are able to contact the seller, then you are probably able to study the Ebay auction listing. If you know what was stated in the auction, then you are in a better position to discuss the situation with the seller.

If you need to make an insurance claim due to the bobbin winder breakage, be sure to keep the packaging materials in case the shipping company wants to examine them to determine whether or not the machine was adequately packaged before they pay the claim.

Good luck with this. I am sorry this happened to you.

Is it from Europe? I never heard of a sewing machine that would be have a 220 voltage. That is usually for large appliances like a oven or air conditioner. Even our refrigerator and freezers are 110. You should have it serviced.

The back of the machine says 220-230 volts; 25 amps. It came from Canada and looks like it was made in
Great Britain. I will definitely have it serviced!

You are right about the converter. Lots of appliances don't run well that way. If you love the machine, it may be cheaper to just replace the motor. It could be much worse...it can't hurt to replace a 50yo motor.

If you end of keeping it, you can buy a replacement motor - they are not cheap, but worth it if you want to get it useable! I can get them from my supplier, but do not have one on hand due to the cost. I replaced the motor on one I brought from England that came with a voltage converter, but it also doesn't work well enough to really sew on the machine.
You will have to change the wall plug to the type we use here as well. You can leave the 3 prong plug on the machine that plugs into the foot controller along if you want. That does not effect function, just the wall plug. PM me if you would like more info or prices for parts. See my website as well www.thequiltgal.com.

Your dryer also runs on 220 wiring. You could change the plug on the sewing machine and see if this works.

I wouldn't blame ebay so much as the offending seller and/ or UPS, USPS, or FedEx. Any decent seller would make good on damages and would pack to prevent them from happening. I have found ebay effective in returning my money from sellers when there was a problem.

Jon

If the price was prohibitive (for your son to pay for a gift for you) have him return it because of the damages. Keep watching for a FW, he'll find just the one you will love; and you are looking at a lot of hassle on this one. Just figure out if the final product will be worth what he and you will wind up paying out....Just my thoughts.....Sincerely, Jo Ann

The seller is going to send me a new bobbin winder - no question asked. Now I'm just trying to resolve the power issue. Anyone have any ideas what a replacement motor should cost me?

Used FW motors sell for about $75 shipping included on ebay.

What is the serial number on the machine?

Do you have pictures yet?

Picture
 

It's really adorable. I got a 50 watt voltage converter. Turns out I need a 100 watt. Hope to get that in by Friday!

Joe's right a replacement motor will run you around $100, but well worth it! I bought a little 99 with the European voltage. I just turned that machine into a HC, but with your little FW - I'd get a new motor. You will love sewing with that machine! What a nice son you have!

Nancy

Very nice!!Good thing I have a laptop that I can turn around. lol I love your thimble in the background.

If you just want to sew with it and it doesn't matter that the motor is not an original FW, you can get a new motor with an electronic foot control and power cord for $33 - http://shop.sew-classic.com/Motor-Ki...l-SCEFM190.htm

These foot controls are a lot nicer to operate than the original bakelite button controllers - they don't get hot and they operate more smoothly.

I've bought several motors and lots of other stuff from Jenny and she's always fast to ship and if I'm making a mistake in what I'm ordering, she'll take the time to ensure that I'm ordering the right stuff for my project. She's saved me time, money and disappointment on several occasions. :)