Both are straight stitch machines. The 201 is heavier, about 40 pounds. It's a sweetheart of a machine, voted the best machine ever made by a national group of sewing machine mechanics and sellers. It makes a nice stitch, does good walking foot straight line stitching and doesn't want to free motion. It powers through a lot of heavy stuff. Different versions have potted motors, belt-driven, hand crank, and treadle. Potted motors are the most powerful and I've found hand crank to offer great precision for thread painting. However, this machine likes 50 weight thread or thinner and you won't be able to use many modern decorative or thick threads on it. I have three 201s, and I cannot use 40 weight quilting thread on any of them. It was designed for dressmaking. The bobbin is horizontal.
The 301 is more versatile. It does three things exceptionally well: piecing, straight-line quilting with a walking foot, and it's free motion quilting is unsurpassed among all the many other machines I've tried. The vertical bobbin is part of the reason it is so good at fmq. It handles any thread except for YLI, I've found to my dismay. (I know so many people who have had major problems with YLI harming their machines - some of which had to go in for repair - that I don't use it anymore.) It thread paints well, also. It darns well and embroiders well. Feet for those functions are easily available, either in slant vintage metal feet or the clear foot that is entirely plastic. You can do other stitches with attachments. It is slant shank, which gives better visibility and sewing. It weighs 16 pounds and is often my choice for classes.
Between the two, I'll take the 301 any day. I leave at least one 301 set up and ready at all times. That does not mean I'm giving up my 201s, however! If I found a good 201 treadle, I'd buy it.
Last edited by cricket_iscute; 06-21-2013 at 09:58 AM.