Originally Posted by
lswan
Check out the Kenmore 1040, it was made in the 70s. It is small, has a cute white case, but is very powerful. The advantage, it has a zig zag. I got mine on eBay, cleaned it and it is just terrific, all metal construction inside and out. Do not buy new plastic, they will loosen and not do decent straight stitch, they can't due to the plastic guts. I paid $100 for my, as we call it, Ketherweight. The Featherweights are good, just more expensive. I have tuned a fair number of them.
I did a lot of research before buying my "travel" machine, and I did the same thing: bought a Kenmore 1040 on ebay. I don't remember what I paid for it, but this Kenmore "featherweight" was a much better value than a Singer Featherweight, imho. It has the zigzag stitches, a much stronger motor, and doesn't cost nearly what the Singer Featherweight does. It's a bit heavier machine, so you don't have to chase it all over the tabletop while in use. And I just love how the attachments box flips to become a small table surface! It also has a small flip up side surface. Love, love, love it! It's an adorable workhorse. Check one out.