bkay

Besides the 400 and 500 series, the 301 also comes in tan and brown. I have two 401s and I am happy with them. They are well made. The only problem with them is that they are so well made that old oil and grease will often clog them up to the extent that they won't work correctly. (Just takes a lot of cleaning and oiling to fix it.)The 500 series is mechanically the same as the 400 series, but has a different look (it's the Rocketeer, which as the "space capsule" look). Those machines are heavy and are best used at home and in a cabinet. Both are slant needle machines. As far as I know, the 400 and 500 series only come in tan and brown. Depending on the specific model, they will zig-zag with a built in cam stack or removable cams.

The 301 is the first of the slant needle machines. They were made to be portable and also used in a cabinet. (They have a special cradle that allows you to remove them from the cabinet easily.) They also came in a portable case. The ones that fit in a cabinet have a shorter flip up extension that is similar to the featherweight extension. The ones sold in a case have the longer extension. The 301 is made of aluminum, so it's not very heavy. I think it's the fastest machine Singer ever made. It comes in black as well as tan and tan and brown. It's often called the "big sister of the featherweight". There is no relationship between the machines other than both are aluminum and have a flip up extension on the bed. It's a straight stitch machine only.

You can find all of these machines in the $50.00 to $200.00 range depending on condition, accessories and cabinet or portable case. Last year, I bought a 301 in a cabinet for $50.00 in great condition. It was missing a set screw, so the owner obviously didn't know what was wrong. (I didn't either until I got it home and took it apart.)

bkay

edit: A black 301 in excellent condition in it's original case with the full accessories will bring in the range of $200.00 in the DFW area.. A tan or tan and brown 301 is less desirable than the black. The Rocketeer is fairly popular as it has a unique look. A really nice one might bring $150.00.The nose and flip up compartment are often broken. They cannot be replaced. The 400 series is great, but a less than perfect one without accessories can be found in the $50.00 range here in DFW.