That machine has been wet and was wet for a while. Keep looking.

I had one of these and liked the machine, but always had trouble with the tension not staying where I set it. It would sew good for awhile and then all of a sudden change.

The number on the motor is just the motor model # and they are most all the same. The machine is on the front just below the bed. It's on a metal plate and probably begins with a 158.XXXX They are usually wonderful machines. A few are left homing, and i would avail those because it is very hard to find feet to fit it.

I had one like this, uses cams for fancy stitches. I had two small boys at the time and didn't like the way it sewed denim, and I know now that I didn't take as good care of it as I should have and didn't know enough to change the needles when I should have so my dissatisfaction was probably user error. Mine was in a cabinet and the legs came off very easy if you took the time to flip the cabinet and slide them off, so it wasn't a problem to move it if we moved. I gave it to my daughter-in-law, thought I was done with sewing...lol...and till I figured out quilting was a whole different experience, that was true. Sounds like a bargain to me if it works.

I had one just exactly like it, even to the color. I loved it, but had the opportunity to pass it along to a mission group helping native women start businesses, so I reluctantly let it go. It was and I hope still is, a Doozie. froggyintexas

As I understand it, the best of the Kenmores are the 158.xxx series. The machine under discussion here is plain, no special features and probably earlier. If you buy it, make sure it has all the cams and that you can change them and that they work.

Aren't you observant! I went back to look at the picture and saw that the pattern of dirt that bothered me on the back, plus the cabinet, both did look like water damage.

It is a Kenmore 158.1654. I just got one free from a woman at church moving into a nursing home. I bought a new belt from Sew-Classic, 20 cams for $10 on eBay, and am putting it in a case out of the cabinet. It is a sturdy workhorse. You have to see if it runs. If it runs, it is a solid machine. You can find the manual online for free.

It is an older Kenmore and an excellant machine. Grab it and run

I have the same machine. It is a Kenmore. My son got it for a $. To bring it home I was on a plane, and had to pay $30 since it weighed over 50 lbs. (This was about 10 years ago). I use the machine to put bindings on quilts, it is really good for that. There are cams that will give you different designes too and I picked them up off ebay for $5. Great machine. It was made in Japan about 65 and heavy duty for the Kenmore line. I did get a users manual from Sears for the machine too.