New Machine
 

Just bought this today--$30.00 and it works good. Needs a little cleaning but that's easy. The seller said name your price. He plugged it in and showed me it works. I said for a working one 30. He accepted with no quibbles. We are BOTH happy with our new treasure.

Wow, great deal. I saw JoAnn's selling machines and seriously thought of one that was $299.00.

I am a relatively new huge fan of the Kenmore machines!! Congrats!!

I still have my first Kenmore I bought in 1979. Those are such great machines! I'm happy for you!

I still have my Kenmore portable (that weighs a ton) that I bought in 1990 and I love it. She sews so quiet and smooth. She's all mechanical.

Great machine
 

After a good cleaning, inside and out- this machine is a sturdy sewer. Make sure you oil it up well and get all the inside gunk out. I have cleaned many of these and they keep sewing- even home dec stuff. I usually replace the lightbulb with an LED and polish everything up. The motor on them was guaranteed for 25 years and it will keep going. Don't use any harsh cleaners on the paint. I find Krud Kutter works well on the outside and inside, just don't leave it wet.
Linda

Looks like a 158.1660
Great machine. Be gentle with the reverse lever, they are hard to come by.

Now that's a treasure to own! I'm not to fond of machines that have circuit boards.

Looks like you got a good one! Have fun.

I don't think it is a 158.1660. Those were convertible machines with a free-arm. This looks like a flat bed. If you look on the back of the machine, I think it will tell the model number. You can probably pick up a better cabinet for it on Ebay or Craigslist. Older Kenmore machines were built like tanks. They are made of metal and built in Japan I believe. I like the fact that they are mechanical instead of computerized. As long as you keep it clean, and oil it regularly, it should serve you well. The quality of these older Kenmores is outstanding. This machine will probably outlive many of today's models.