be sure amd check weight... 301's only weigh 16 pounds and if that's heavy for you ...the brother I bought for our RV is 24 pounds.
maybe hunt for a Janome Hello Kitty. They don't sew fast but they sew well. 12 poun d 3/4 size model like the featherweight. and cute :) my cousin takes hers to sewing group every week.

I have a Brother CS3000i that works for me. I bought it in 2012 because it included the slide on table. Amazon has the new iteration, CS7000X for $239.00 for the machine with the table. It weighs 14 pounds. I bought a basic carry case for mine and the slide on table fits in nicely behind the machine.

Thanks Quilting Candy. I think I might just look for a featherweight.
bkay

Talk to a dealer. You may be able to get a refurbished machine and get more for your money.

I take my Singer 99K to the open sew days at my LQS. It travels easy and it's not too heavy for me, definitely lighter than my Singer 15-91. I got my Singer 99K for $30 off goodwill.com auction.

Of course, buying online you don't get the advantages (if any) that you may get from a local dealer (unless you're talking walmart or joannes


I will not by sewing machines at Joanne's. Bought one about a year ago (Singer, low end), and it did not work at all. Returned it and Joanne's told me they don't take returns. and the factory didn't want them back. Joanne's finally relented - sort of- and said they could accept the return if I paid a $15 restocking fee. That was it for me.

my suggestion was going to be the 301.... hmmmm

I love my 301. It's currently my most used machine. However, by the time you put the machine in a tote, add scissors, snips and ll the other "stuff" you will need to sew away from home, it's heavy, Then you have your project, maybe a cutting board, etc., it's almost like moving.

If you take your regular machine. then you have to install it in the cabinet when you get home, along with putting away all the stuff you just packed up this morning. (I may be talking myself out of participating in this endeavor.)

The bright side is that I have not been on the Goodwill auction site in years and I'd love to have a Featherweight. (My old user name worked, but had to change my password.)

bkay

I don't know of ANY dealer that will take machines back. Some will trade them in for a different machine. If you don't want to buy from a dealer, Costco might be a better choice, because their return policy is fairly generous.

Someone mentioned the Brother with extension table from Walmart?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-S...0&from=/search