| thepolyparrot |
10-24-2011 10:59 AM |
I would go with a 15-90 or a 15-91. You can usually find them in nice heavy cabinets on craigslist for low or reasonable prices, invest another $70-130 in replacing & repairing all of the electrical components and have a SUPER machine for FMQ for a couple of hundred dollars or less.
The 15-90 is the model 15 with a belted motor and the 15-91 is the same machine with a motor directly geared into the machine. The latter is a little more expensive to refurbish because modern repro motors are not available - you have to get the motors cleaned and re-wired.
The modern repro motors for the 15-90 cost $24 each, about $50 less than re-wiring the 15-91 motor.
Add a repro light, foot control and cords and you'll be back in business with a strong, safe machine.
I've quilted most of my queen and king size quilts on the 15's - it's a little tricky at the center of the quilt, but much easier than with most modern machines. After you get the four square feet at the center quilted, it gets much easier.
You really can't beat these old gals for reliability and ease of use. The 66 and 201 are good machines too, but the bobbins are a lot smaller and the access to the bobbin is on the bed of the machine. Lots more bobbin changes and you can't just tip the machine back to change it, like you can with the 15. I use at least 14 bobbins to quilt a queen size - up to 26 or 28 on a king - with the smaller bobbins, that number will almost double. :)
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