DogHouseMom

I personally would contact the 201 seller and ask about lowering the price, reason being is that I LOVE that cabinet and trying to find a good cabinet with the matching stool is worth a lot in my book. For that machine (if in good condition) and if the cabinet looks as good as I think it does ... I'd go as high as $125 easy. And if you don't like the 201 (or want a ZZ machine), sell the 201 and get a different Singer head.

But that's me. I personally don't want a machine with cams. I learned on one, and learned to hate cams.

miriam

I prefer the cams to a camstack.

shasta5718

I would go for the pfaff, just make sure it is functioning ok and that the cam stack is not cracked. I have had one for 43 years and it still sews like a dream. These were made in Germany when they cared how a machine was made.

Jennifer23

Here's my new baby:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]438723[/ATTACH]
She came with some fun stuff:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]438724[/ATTACH]
Unfortunately, she's going to need some serious surgery if she's ever going to sew again. Behold the cracked cam stack:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]438725[/ATTACH]
I found the crack while I was looking at it, and so I got the machine and the cabinet for $40. (I'm a horrible negotiator; she probably would have given it to me for free if I hadn't blurted out that I'd pay for it!) The cabinet had a nice lift system, so I'm going to give it to my mom for her embroidery machine. In a year or two I'll see if I can do something to make it less hideously ugly, but I think she'll like the lift. The cabinet is so heavy I'll need a friend to help me get it out of the car, so no pics of the cabinet yet.

Thanks again for all your advice! Now, I have $60 left of the original $100 I was going to pay for this, so I'll have to call the people with the Singer 201 and see if I can get it too...

mlmack

I saw one of those camstacks online for $55, so it won't be too much to get it in sewing shape.

I'd take the 3-in-1 Oil out to the garage.

miriam

Check to make sure the new cam stack isn't cracked before you take the old one out.

Jennifer23

I've seen the cam stacks online, but I'm concerned about messing up the timing if I change it myself. I don't think I have the patience yet to retime it, and I'm not sure there's anyone in town that could do it (apparently the sewing machine repair guy passed away a few months ago), so it might have to wait a while. Right now I'm still thinking I should get it repaired, though, as it seems like a good machine otherwise.

mlmack

Any cam gear you buy should be new, and therefore not cracked. Here is one for $80, but I have seen them for less.

http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/cam...040708-91.aspx

Here is a Yahoo group that you could join that might give you some more information.

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/o...tions/messages

miriam

When I took Ray White's class one of the students had a Pfaff and needed the camstack changed out. We got the thing changed out and then noticed that the brand new one was cracked. Ray said he has seen that before - we had a pretty long discussion about the Pfaff cam stacks. There may be someone in Wisconsin that is making their own - it is just a rumor... If anyone knows about it please let everybody know. It may have cracked putting it in or it may have already been cracked. It is not uncommon. Those are very fragile parts.

mlmack

Oops. That would suck.