I'd choose the 301 cause that's the one my mother has and I learned to sew on. A bit of nostalgia for me. Who knows, some day I might end up with that very machine. I got a chance to use it recently and it still sews great. I agree with BellaBoo, it sews much smoother than my newer machine. It just seems like a solid piece of equipment and probably is since it's made of metal rather than plastic. :)