Originally Posted by
Cari-in-Oly
Great answer Rodney. I'll only question one thing. Computerized machines use stepper motors.
Cari
Agreed! Stepper motors also known as pulse motors.
Originally Posted by
Macybaby
I think I like #9 for vintage the best - and that would knock out the plastic ones because they don't represent high quality. It has to have stood the test of time - I have every reason to believe my vintage machines will be around and working when they get old enough to be considered Antiques - the rest are just old junk
representing the high quality of a past time:vintage cars; vintage movies.
I wonder if in 40 years if some of the current very high end machines will still be considered vintage, simply because they are the high quality of today's machines. By that time, 3D printing or whatever replaces it will be mainstream and even plastic parts will be "easily" replicated.
Originally Posted by
J Miller
LOL, I have a 1990 Singer plastic wonder. I would not classify it as vintage, more like sub modern junque.
Joe
Singer was worse than many by the 1990s.
The Pfaffs of the same time frame are still sought after, despite their plastic bits and the one I have here has taken a real kicking and it still works. I also had a Singer Athena 2000(?) on my bench at the same time as I got this Pfaff and they're miles apart quality wise despite the plastic similarities.
Originally Posted by
Sewnoma
My 1994 machine is a Kenmore (made by Janome) and it's right on the cusp of that description. Most of its guts are metal and it's all mechanical, but it's got a white plastic body that screams "cheap modern machine". I've abused the hell out of that poor thing (mostly through ignorance), and it still sews great so IMO it's actually a pretty solid little machine but I'm not sure I'd call it vintage.
I've serviced probably a dozen of the Janome made Kenmore machines and the Janome labeled machines and I have to say that they're definitely some of the best of the bunch these days. They're well made considering today's standards. The one Kenmore had a few pins bent into "V" shapes by the hook and the timing was fine and the needlebar was straight and at the right height. I was expecting to have to write the machine off when I saw that but was pleasantly surprised.