I have the 2200 QVP Mini which is basically the same machine. I bought mine for FMQ also but I pieced a large string quilt on it and it's awesome for that also. Straight stitch only but has knee lift and auto thread cutter.

Joe you're not going to find anything modern that can even come close to the 201. Nothing built today has that smooth, undescribeable feel of a well tuned 201-2.

Cari

I'm going to be honest here, you won't find a new machine as good as a Singer 201. There are definitely some great new machines available, but none will still be humming along at 70+ years old. And with computer parts and mother boards and such in all new machines, even the Juki 2010Q, you will need to bring the machine in for a service, rather than doing it yourself.

If you want a machine for fancy stitches, zigzag stitch, and needle down features, I'm sure there are some lovely machines out there that can do that. I use a simple Wal-Mart Brother, and now a vintage Pfaff 130 for applique. I just know that no plastic Brother machine will never be as nice as my vintage machines.

Cari I think you are correct. Nothing will come close.

I'm not a Singer gal, half of my sewing machine herd are Brother machines but my 201-2 is the queen of my herd.

Cari

My straight stitch only Babylock Jane and my Juki TL98QE do not have mother boards. Had them since 2008 and 2010, never been to a shop. Very easy to maintain them myself.

NZ- my Juki is all mechanical, no mother board.
I have a 201 and love it too.

Okay, I stand corrected, the Juki 2010 doesn't have a mother board. Juki likes to sell it as a completely mechanical machine, but it does have an electronic "brain" so to speak (sorry not a computer wizz here!) that controls the thread cutter, needle down, and speed controller. One member here, Macybaby I believe it was, had that part go out on her couple year old Juki.

I learned to sew on a 201 and currently own at least two of them.

What most people fail to take into account is that was Singer's flagship at the time. It was not an inexpensive machine by any measure. So if you want to find a "comparable" machine nowdays - you'll be looking in the several thousand dollar range.

When you buy a vintage machine and buy what was once the top of the line, it should be a very good machine within its design. If you buy a vintage machine that was low end when it came out - don't expect it to compare to a high end machine.

I've been lucky to almost always have owned top of the line machines, starting with a 201, and moving up. When I started looking at machines a few years ago, I realized I'd not find anything that worked up to my standards and had extra features that was under about $5,000 new.

Another note on vintage machines, if you want a good workhorse, find a machine that shows wear. The older machines were not produced with the fit and finish that can be achieved with current machining, so you want a machine that had lots of hours on it so it's well broken in. One of my favorites was a Singer 15-90 that came with a host of specialty attachments and had seen a lot of use. That machine was smoother than any other Singer I've sewn on - but I've sewn on many 15's I didn't like near as well, but they were in much nicer shape.