Been out for awhile and they are crap. Sorry, I said that but it is what it is. A bought one for my niece, she was a real new quilter. At the time I couldn't locate another real FW and thought "this will do, she doesn't know the difference anyway."
Avoid them like the plague even if you find a cheap one.

I haven't tried them personally so probably shouldn't give an opinion but I have heard that those replicas are horrible. For that price you could get a really good real one.
Maire

I remember a huge display of replicas at one of the big quilt shows several years ago. While that $499 sounds high considering my Mom payed $135 for her freather weight in 1936 the price is not unreasonable. At the time my Mom made $1 a day working in a dimestore. That machine was her prize possession. I learned to sew on it. If the machine is made as sturdy as the originals your grandchildren will be using it someday.

I bought one of these from private person used, it needed service when I got it and never sewed a good even stitch. Suitable only for a lamp base or door stop IMO. I only paid $100 and it was a waste of money.

This knock-off will never be worth anything - won't last long enough to hand down. If some opportunists steal Gucci, Rolex, and everything else - FW is not protected either. Sad.

I wish the Elna Corporation would give us an original rerun on my 1972 SU. That would make me very happy!

For that kind of money I would buy an original Featherweight. They can be had for that amount or less if you shop around. I have four of them.

i have an original and only paid 250.00, it is from 1934 and sews and sounds like a million dollars. sure some decals are missing from wear, but hey I got it cause it
sews perfect, not too fast for me. I feel more at ease at
it than I do my computerized machines, LOL, i am only 60

I am sick and tired of the chinese crap that comes into our country!Now they have imitated the FW.Russia sold China planes and now they have clones of those too.What next?We need to stop buying the China crap and get the jobs back here in the good old USA!

well yes, but Singer is now made in China, and several of the major ones are made in Sweden so what can you do? It
starts with politics, companies going to overseas from USA
to use their cheap labor. this list is not for politics.
and my DH lost a job to having it go to India. And lost another job cause the job he was doing for A china company here in the USA was replaced by a robot. so sign of the times, too many people I guess. More indians than chiefs.

Sorry,didnt mean to offend...........pab