Didn't learn on one, mum had an electric, but when I married I was given first an old Werthiem that you had to turn the wheel by hand, then a Singer treadle which I used for several years as we lived way out in the country and only had generated 32volt power. My dad put an electric motor on the treadle when we finally lived in town and had town power. I loved both the Werthiem and the treadle and wish I still had them.