Trash?
 

The local repairman says this can't be serviced.
I got this in a lot of vintage scraps. Is it worthless?
I was told to throw it out.

I remember being at a garage sale, and the lady telling of her Mom's FW - and that it was white and all. I got excited and asked to see it - and this is what she pulled out LOL!!

They usually aren't worth the cost of a service repair. Our one place starts at $80 and goes up. However when you aren't paying someone else by the hour - how much time you want to spend is up to you.

A quick look inside will probably help in seeing if anything is cracked or broken, because if it is, then it probably is junk and not worth messing with.

I would risk tearing it apart (open) and see what it looks like, oil where it looks like it needs oiled and see what happens. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Most likely that machine is filled with plastic gears and parts, as well as stamped sheet metal parts. It probably can be repaired, but ... would it be cost effective to do it?

Example: Wife and I picked up a Singer 3343C, a circa 1990 machine. It cost us less than the cams that came with it would have cost. (We wanted the cams, so the machine was just something to mess with.) It sews, but it's got a cracked cam drive gear.
I priced it out and the sources where I find this gear have it listed for nearly $80 dollars. 80 bucks for a cheap plastic gear. I told my wife to use it till it dies then we'll part it out. The cams and attachments that came with it are more than worth that price. But I will not spend that kind of money on a junkie plastic gear.

Like the others have said, look into it yourself, you might be able to fix it and then you'll have learned something. :D


Joe

You've already been told by a repair person that it's not worth repairing. They may be right at shop prices but if you supply the labor it might be different. You have nothing to lose by opening it up and seeing what's inside. What is the machine doing or not doing that prompted you to take it in? Did the repair person say what was wrong or just that it's not worth trying to repair? I probably wouldn't fool with it if the gears are shot but if it's something minor that's different.
Rodney

Even if you can't fix THIS machine, tearing apart a junker might teach you something valuable for the NEXT machine!

Don't throw it out, there are always parts that can be salvaged and needed by someone else. I have a large rack of parts machines in my garage that I always go to first when trying to find a part or maybe rig a similar part to do the job.

Thanks everyone. I think I'll put it on the giveaway table at my next Guild meeting.

Sounds like a great idea if you are not the venturous type.