Mickey2

I have one of these and I might soon have two. I haven't decided yet, but there is one offered at a good price, just missing a few parts. It's in a domed case, knee lever control;: missing knee lever and power cord with plug.

Mine is a 201K, in a table that looks like it might have been a treadle at one point. Serial number dates it to 1950, at a time when hardly any ordered treadles. It has the spoked wheel, but all set up with motor and lights. If it ever was a treadle, the electrical conversion happened early on in its' life. The owner though it had been electrical from new, but who knows what happened in it's first decade. She was the second owner.

I am trying to reduce noises as much as possible. The belt is new, but it squeaks slightly, at least when sewing fast. I have been wondering if the small solid hand wheel is better with electrical motor, or if the spoked hand wheel is all fine. I have read lugged type belts are the best. At the moment I have the black type rubber V-belt, and I plant to order an orangey lugged belt to check the difference.

I have had problems with the upper thread jumping out of the first thread guide. I found a solution in a transverse spool holder that clips onto the spool pin. It allows for the thread to go horizontally from the spool to the first thread guide, it's even possible to set it slightly lower than the thread guide, and tread stays in its' route how ever fast I sew.

I am on the hunt for an extra bobbin case. I can live with just one, but switching from a light weight thread to top stitch thread is very cumbersome. I have to set bobbin tension everytime and I find it such a hassle, and having an extra bobbin case set for the ticker thread sounds like a nice solution.

I feel my 201 might need some fine tuning; I have to turn tension up, way up to tightest setting to sew with top stitch thread on heavier fabrics. It does it, but just barely, it's like I can't get tension tight enough. When free motioning I also have tension dial way up compared to others, might be someting I need to work on.

I just replaced the bobbin tire, I think it's the correct size. It slided on with a bit of effort, and it's much firmer than the old. The old has sort of sagged or perhaps it was just a number too large, it kept falling off if I didn't wind slow and carefully. I had to adjust the bobbin winder a bit when the new tire went on, it's like it's a bit thicker, but I can't see much differece though. After the adjustment it doesn't click in and out of place as it used to, I probably have put it of sync some how; needs attention, but I can at least wind the bobbin on regular speed.

I've had my 201 for just over a year now, it's become my favorite in spite of the fixer up issues. It's a joy to work on it, for the most part it stitches perfectly with out any fuzz; but still there are a few things that need to be looked at.

Any thoughts on the subject? Anyone having similar issues with the 201? I might add a few clever attachments to my collection, I have a buttonholer I like, a zigzagger I don't like, a walking foot would be nice.