Sewing machine grease
 

Now,I'm really confused! What do you folks recommend for the gears? What do you recommend for the motor? Many sources say not to use Vaseline as it melts when it gets warm. There is a specialty grease that folks use on their racing bicycle gears...I do sew pretty fast...

Metal Gears = Tri-Flow grease
Plastic Gears = Tri-Flow grease or Singer white gear grease ( that's what Singer is selling in the tubes now )

Singer Motors = Singer Motor Lube in the tube ( grease ) if you can get some. It's discontinued. Otherwise petroleum jelly.
Yes it melts and gets soft when it gets warm, that is the exact same thing the Singer motor lube does. It has to to flow to the bearings.

Other motors with grease pots = petroleum jelly or what ever the owners manual says to use. Many actually state to use petroleum jelly.

Motors with oil holes = Regular clear sewing machine oil.

Joe

Not use TriFlo grease in motors? It's clear also, synthetic with PTFW. It looks like (expensive) Petroleum Jelly.

No Tri-Flow in the motor...it won't melt and doesn't reach the bearings. :)

As I said in another thread just a few days ago; that which makes Tri-Flow great for gears makes it unsuitable for motors. Being a synthetic grease it doesn't get soft when it gets hot. So it won't flow to the bearings when the motor gets warm.

Joe

Thanks for this thread. I didn't know the tube of gear grease doesn't work for the motor.

Thanks for clearing up the issue!

Interestingly, not one vintage Singer manual that I've read mentions using grease on gears. They all clearly describe sewing machine oil only.

As for motors, after a lot of research, I'm definitely going to try Vaseline (I'm not recommending you do the same. That's your decision to make. :) )

Here's just one article I've come across:

http://archaicarcane.com/a-search-fo...e-replacement/

I'm curious which vintage Singer manuals you have seen that actually have gears that say to oil the gears. The 201 manual does say to use oil on the gears, however the 101 and 221 say to use "Singer motor lubricant" on the gears and many others as well. I know the early 1900s domestic machines such as the 66s, 99s, 27s (and related) didn't have gears, so would only have used oil. If it had a motor then would use Singer motor lubricant in the grease tubes.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

Dalronix, you are not reading the same manuals I am. I'm working on a 401a right now. It clearly shows in the manual to use grease on the gears. It shows to use oil and the other moving parts.

bkay

You will notice the oil drops that indicate you put oil on the joints. The grease/lubricant tube is pointed to the gears in this page from the Singer 401 manual.