The classic reason that Featherweight owners sell 'em.
 

for $100 on CL today, I picked up this 1934 FW. The reason the lady was selling it, thread jams, caused by that little "finger" on the bobbin base/hook not being in it's proper home postition under the needle plate. She had no accessories, and the case is a little rough, but her needle plate and bobbin area are pristine, and she sewed just fine after a wee bit of TLC.
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I didn't feel bad about the deal, because she told me she had been doing garage sales, buying treadle machines, selling the drawers and her son would scrap out the rest of the machines. Such a waste, couldn't you at least make a plant stand out of the irons?:hunf:

Very nice find!

The FW I got my wife from GW was jammed up with a thread jam too. Seems to be a chronic problem with them.

Most likely operator error.

Joe

Great score!

When I bought my FW, the lady said it was not working and would need a tune-up. I was willing to take a chance, as the price was low and I was willing to tinker.

It turned out, the needle had simply been put in backwards. (Joe, this does cause a spectacular thread jam! Maybe the source of the one you mentioned, too? )

The machine we got was definitely a thread jam. I had to take it apart and remove the errant piece of thread before it would even move at all. I honestly don't know how the needle was in it. I put a new one in once the thread jam was cleared.

Joe

Two of the three we got had big thread jams too - I assumed it was from them being on display while threaded - and someone turning the wheel or stepping on the foot pedal to see if it worked. Nothing like running it threaded with no fabric to produce a nice thread jam!

It's unreal the amount of thread that can collect under there. I didn't take a photo of Eliza's (the 222) thread jam or the poor painter FW I picked up. It wasn't so "spiky", but possibly more thread was wrapped under there, but here's the 301 that I picked up this summer:
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Which is probably why there are instructions in the owner's manual for taking this part of the machine apart. Possibly the only real flaw of the FW and 301. Even just not holding the tails when you start to sew will cause this.

Also, I found out that the needle was factory set to slightly scrape the hook guard, over time it causes a groove with a sharp edge that thread will get caught on. So, with a little patience and a Dremel tool, you can buff the groove smooth, or replace the whole part for 5 bucks and voila perfectly fine sewing machine with no thread jams. That's what was wrong with my 1939 fw.

Great deal..good for you...