Originally Posted by vintagemotif
I suggest that for those just wanting their first treadle to find a Singer 66, or 15-89/90 since the parts are easy to find and the needle used for these machine are the standard 15x1.
I second this, especially for someone new to refurbishing. Some of the antique brands are nearly impossible to outfit with replacement parts or needles or bobbins. It's possible that this Automatic is a copy of one of the commonly-available machines and uses parts that you can buy anywhere, but you should be sure of it before you buy the machine. (unless you're buying it as a decorative piece and not for sewing?)
The 15 would be my preference because of it's ability of FMQ, but a 201 or 66 would also be great and so would a 27/127 or a 28/128. The long bobbins on the latter (Vibrating Shuttle - VS) machines don't hold as much thread as they others, but they are good strong machines and parts are easy to find and cheap. They can also have absolutely gorgeous paint jobs. :)
Any of them will be lovely for piecing, applying binding, sewing garments, etc. Any of them will plow through just about anything you can get under the presser foot.