Common machine not so common
 

I have looked and looked for a 15-90 for months. For a common machine, they are very scarce in my area and for the few within a 100 miles, very over priced. I only want the machine; I have a cabinet.

What area on you in. We see a lot of 15-91's.

That is my experience. I hear people say just go get a vintage machine. I have some but it was literally after years of looking. At every thrift store in my area every week. As many estate and garage sales as I could fit in. Few to be had and mostly in bad condition and overpriced. I just got lucky with the ones I have but if I waited to sew anything til I did find one and got it working I'd still be on quilt #1.

The 15-91 has the built in motor. Did you want that or a belt driven machine?
Model 15s tend to sell a little higher than most other machines in my area. Keep watching. One will eventually come along.
Rodney

I have had probably 4 15-91's to my one, single 15-90. Same with the 201's.

It's just geography.

I want a treadle not electric. Did I get the -90 wrong?

The 15-91 is not a treadle. i have a Singer 15 from early 1900's and one made in the 1940s they have different numbers so it is confusing. They were made even earlier but harder to find. The ones with potted motors are much easier to find though. You could treadle one with a potted motor or a Japanese clone but you would have to find a spoked hand wheel that fits and you would lose the belt guard and bobbin winder. Do a bit of research first. First remove the motor and wiring, old hand wheel, and belt guard. Then put on a spoked hand wheel. Put on the clutch knob parts on and you should be good to go. Next put it on a treadle belt etc - it will work with out a bobbin winder if you use a sidewinder. I'm thinking the hand wheels are not all the same depth so you will need to find some thing that interchanges. The belt guard replacements do not come with screws. If you are using a clone you should be able to come up with a belt guard and reuse the screws or maybe the original belt guard will fit over the hand wheel. The potted motor 15s do not come with belt guard screws those are attached different. The holes are there though - go figure... Maybe someone will start making screws for that since there are none made these days.

The 90 has the external motor, and the smaller solid flywheel. I think you can swap flywheels on them.

The 88 came treadle or electric, and has the larger spoked flywheel. the 89 is the same with the handcrank attached.

I had an 88 that came in a treadle cabinet. I put a motor on it and it was one of the nicest sewing 15's I've had. It went to a budding seamstress that needed a machine for sewing a denim quilt.

OK, thanks for clearing that up. I want a 15-88. I have an original cabinet & treadle irons. I also have another set of irons that I like a lot more and have thought about changing the irons out. The cabinet needs some love
and attention later when the weather warms up

converting 15-91 to treadle
 

. You could treadle one with a potted motor or a Japanese clone but you would have to find a spoked hand wheel that fits and you would lose the belt guard and bobbin winder. Do a bit of research first. First remove the motor and wiring, old hand wheel, and belt guard. Then put on a spoked hand wheel. Put on the clutch knob parts on and you should be good to go. Next put it on a treadle belt etc - it will work with out a bobbin winder if you use a sidewinder. I'm thinking the hand wheels are not all the same depth so you will need to find some thing that interchanges.
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I don't believe that the 15-91 handwheel, clutch assembly and fiber spiral gear can just be removed from a 15-91 and replaced with a spoked handwheel. Johnm