I was just reading the manual for my old singer 327 and it talks about lubricant vs. oil and where to put each one. I've always had this one serviced (never a problem, just service) every few years whether I use it or not, and it seems always to run fine. I've had it since 1965 and it has moved lots of times with me. I ought to try sewing with it now, since I haven't used it since the Brother XR-52 showed up on my doorstep!