Brenda52411

I just got lucky and bought a lovely Singer 201 that is a 1952 or 1953 vintage machine. I intend to USE this little girl for sewing.. and I mean USE her, as lovely as she is.

She needs oiling and greasing and a bit of cleaning, but she seems to me (not that I am knowledgeable) in fantastic shape. She doesn't look like has been used much at all, by her previous owner/s. I think she has been sitting for a LONG time, just waiting for someone to come along and adopt her.

ANYWAY, she doesn't have a foot pedal. The lady who sold her to me had a foot pedal for a 301 on her, for demonstration purposes. That foot pedal had that button on it. Hopefully you know what I mean.

Are foot pedals for vintage machines pretty interchangeable, or is there something I need to know when looking for a foot pedal for my gal?

I have a 1934 Featherweight and foot pedal. Will that foot pedal work on her? Obviously, I have not tried. I need to get some oil and grease for her too. I need to get that before I worry too much about the foot pedal.

Do you all use Tri Flow grease and Tri Flow oil?

Thank you,
Brenda

SteveH

First of all, welcome Brenda!

Yes, a lot of us like the Tri-Flo products (not everyone, but most)

The 201 is a great machine. If you can post some pictures, we would be able to provide better advice. My Collection is exclusively pre-electric, so I will wait for the "modern" folks to chime in with help in the wiring.

Cari-in-Oly

Yes, the cord and controller from your Featherweight will work. Many Singers used the same 3 pin connector cord/button controller set up. I have several Singers and when I pull one out to use it I just grab the first cord/controller set I can reach. I've done it so many times that I couldn't begin to tell you which one actually came with which machine.
Tri Flow oil yes. If your machine is a 201-2 with the potted motor then you'll only want to use Tri Flow grease on the gear underneath the machine, not in the motor grease tubes. For those, you'll want to use Singer lube or just plain vaseline.
Welcome and congrats on getting your 201. I'm not a Singer gal but my 201 is my second favorite of all my 40+ machines.

Cari

Brenda52411

Thank you I think I had told someone she is a 201-3, but I was wrong. If the potted motor is a 201-2, she is a 201-2. I'm a newbie to the vintage Singer world. I have a Featherweight that I love... but have a LOT to learn about the vintage Singers. I just want to learn how to care for her.

THANK YOU for letting me know that the connector cord/foot pedal can be changed from machine to machine. I just didn't know if I dare take my FW cord/foot pedal or not. I didn't want to hurt anything.

Brenda

Jeanette Frantz

Brenda, welcome to the Board. You can almost always get advice and help from QB Members. I've got a 1952 201-2 as well (you know that's the Centennial Edition).

Again, welcome aboard!

Jeanette

Cari-in-Oly

The centennial badge doesn't automatically mean the machine is a 1952. The badge has been found on machines dating from 1949 to 1953 or 54. I've read theories and speculations as to why, and lots of debating over whether a 1952 machine without the badge is a centennial or not and whether a badged machine from a year other than '52 is a true centennial. I really have no opinion either way but it's all been interesting reading.

Cari

miriam

Welcome to the madness, Brenda.
I would not use Tri Flow grease on the potted motor. Here is a link to my favorite blogger about working on the vintage machines. Rain Noe has a lot about the 201s if you are seriously going to clean it. http://vssmb.blogspot.com/

Then Tammi has a blog with good info especially about the tension you will need to browse. Tammi doesn't take out the tension pin in her video and clean it with denatured alcohol. I have seen those pins stick but good with dried up oil. http://www.archaicarcane.com/ I'm sure she is going to beat me up now... and someone is going to say nobody ever oils those pins. I don't know why but they do get sticky at least around here.

Brenda52411

Miriam,

Thank you so VERY much for your welcome and your information. I am TRYING to learn about my "new to me" 201. I have a LOT to learn yet... a LOT. I am just looking forward to sewing with her.

Brenda

Vridar

In my opinion, you're starting with the best machine Singer made. A zig-zag attachment and a blind stitch attachment and away you go. Maybe a button-hole attachment if you are so inclined.

miriam

I have recently found another Singer 201 I took the bobbin area apart and cleaned per Rain's info. His info is excellent, do not be afraid if you can follow directions. I was able to clean the thing up and once I got the tension cleaned up it was fine. I think the bobbin area, the tension and the motor are the hard parts on that machine - well maybe any straight stitch machine that has a motor. I like those 201 machines. They are sort of like a beefed up Featherweight.... I do have to tell a story, so grab some popcorn....

I advertized a Singer 201 on CL a while back. Some lady called up and wanted info about the Featherweight I had on CL. She was VERY angry when I told her it was NOT a Featherweight it was a Singer 201 a Heavyweight. I told her I did not advertize it as a Featherweight the ad clearly said it was a Singer 201.... She got really huffy and told me I should take the ad down since it wasn't a Featherweight. I kept telling her it was not advertized as a Featherweight it was advertized as a Singer 201. She finally hung up. Then she called back a little later and told me she looked at the CL ad and said it was advertized as a Singer 201 but I should take the ad down since it was NOT A FEATHERWEIGHT. Then she hung up. I love CL people..........