Originally Posted by
ladydukes
Someone near me has a 301 for sale (beige or mocha...). Do you like yours & what is a fair price? Please PM me.
I have two mocha 301s, a long bed portable and a short bed in a cradle and cabinet. I use both all the time. Love them! They are dependable, bulletproof so long as you oil and clean them, gear driven, good piecers (get a slant quarter-inch foot), good straight-line quilters, excellent free-motion quilters. Feet are easily available. I have quite a few machines, including computerized from several manufacturers, plus a Bernina, a Pfaff, and a Janome, and the Singer 301 is the best for quilting, IMHO. I've tried many!
I got the long-bed portable for $76 on e-bay about 9 years ago; they are more likely to be a couple hundred dollars or more now on e-bay (less locally) as more quilters have discovered them. They only weigh 16 pounds and have a built-in handle, so good to take to class also. They have vertical bobbins, great for quilting. They also have slant feet, good for visibility. They power through heavy fabrics or light fabrics with no issues either way. Mine take any thread except YLI, but I'm aware of other machines having trouble with YLI thread also.
Buy it. You won't be sorry.
Has anyone ever seen a 301 be treadled? Or a 301 with a hand crank? I know they weren't made that way, but I wondered about modifications.
Cricket