Originally Posted by sammygirlqt
What do you think of the 404? Just saw one posted in my area for $35. in a nice small size cabinet. The machine came with button holer, zigzagger and looks to be in good shape.
The 404 is as good as the 401A & 403A as far as quality, but it’s a straight-stitch only machine, and therefore not as popular for general sewing that calls for a multitude of stitches. IMO, it does a better SS than the 401 or 403 because it’s specifically built to do it. The feeddogs are narrower and match the SS foot better than the wider ZZ feeddogs of the other machines.
We used Grandma Maw’s 404 a lot for SS, especially at remote locations like classes, partly because of the quality stitch, but also because it has the portable case. I used it to make some heavy canvas bags, and it's great for that. For quilting work, once we got a 221 for portability, and a 301A for SS and FMQ in the cabinet, the 404 now sets on “standby” by no fault of its own.
The button holer will produce nice consistent button holes, but while the zigzagger is fun to play with, it’s not equal to a ZZ machine.
CD in Oklahoma
Grandma Maw's Singer 404
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