Leon, Although I haven't posted much, I am following your travels and enjoy seeing your new acquisitions. The industrial does look like a workhorse. I liked the analogy. As Janey said, you may need a "whopper" frame for it and other industrial machines. I'm envious of your ability to compare it to smaller domestic machines. I noticed the extra substantial guides for the needle and presser bars. I'll read any comments you have with great interest. I'm particularly interested in the bed width and length. Also its weight. Thanks for sharing the pictures with all of us. John

Manicmike suggested a 319 or 306 bobbin assembly might fit.. and lucky me, I had one four feet from the Husky. Couldn't wait to get home and try it. I knew I didn't have a bobbin though, when bkay sent it my way it was missing. I'd been waiting for one to appear. I turned the 319 over and this is what I saw[ATTACH=CONFIG]582360[/ATTACH]


Ooops missing more than the bobbin. The hunt continues. I did start oiling it down and cleaning a bit. I have more folks to contact.

7w x 19L x 2 1/2H base. 13 1/2 to the top of the spool pin.

If I were into naming machines I'd have to name this after a huge horse or maybe Yeti because there have been no other sighting.


It does look an awful lot like a 96 Singer and there is one only 100 miles away... NO NO Leon, That is not the answer.

Sorry it is fuzzy. I was balancing the 319 with one hand and shooting with the other.

Ordered Singer 96 bits for it. We'll see. And if they don't work for the Husky the might revive the 319.

Hard to type with crossed fingers.

Hello to all,new to forum and sorry, not much of a quilter, but I have a question that you friendly folks might be able to help me with. The other day, I bought a 1957 Singer 401A machine from goodwill for $20.00. It is in immaculate shape (see pictures) I would like to resell it.. but in my research, the prices are all over the board. My questions are,
1. It didn't have a power cord or foot controller, so I ordered and receive one. Have not ordered foot controller yet.
I'm not sure if the machine actually works, but I'm confident that it will. If I plug in the power cord, will I be able to tell if it works without having the foot controller?

2. Does selling it without the foot controller hurt my chances of selling?[ATTACH=CONFIG]582367[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]582368[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]582369[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]582370[/ATTACH]

3. What would be a fair asking price for this machine? (assuming that it works?)

Did I send the above post to the right section?

Hi Danny 123, Welcome to the board. Nice machine. Great price.

I'll answer your questions as best I can. First of all. you are half right in your posting. OK more than half , many folks have a terrible time downsizing pics. You got the right forum, but posting it under the Husqvarna post only gets those interested in one obscure magazine. The blue oval called "start new Thread" is the one you wanted.
You could name it "401a Singer questions"

Prices do run all over, but they are determined by condition, location, accessories, phase of the moon , etc.

Your 401a will not run without a controller and as such buyers will buy as a "could easily be broken" machine with smaller offers.

Hand turning the thing will tell you some things, but not all.

putting your (aprox) location may help. Someone here may live around the corner and be looking for one. They can PM you if interested.

You'd probably get more responses if you started a new thread. Not everyone reads every thread. They usually read one to see what it's about, and then follow it if they are interested. So, it's possible by not starting a new thread about a 401, few people will see it. Post it in Vintage and Antique Machine Enthusiasts and title it "401 yada, yada" (you get the idea).

I would not pay much more than you did if I didn't see the machine work and it will require a foot pedal. It appears to be in good condition and has a nice case, so that's a plus. It's a great machine, but the 401 is notorious for freezing up. It's a laborious chore to un-freeze it. It's not hard to do, but does take a lot of cleaning with hairdryers, PB blaster, alcohol or kerosene and re-oiling and re-greasing. There are several threads about the process, which helped me get mine done.

If it's working and you are willing to wait, and keep posting it on craigslist or Offerup or something like that, you will probably get somewhere between $100 and $200 in Dallas. Having a case adds value here. However, going prices vary by region.

bkay

You should be able to find the bobbin case and bobbin as well as the spring from an old industrial sewing machine repair shop. It should not be hard to locate your parts.

Is the foot controller for the 401 and it’s attachments inside the case? If not they are easy to obtain on line.

woooo hooo. I picked up the Husqvarna table today. If you remember, it was in a very cluttered shop. As we got the table outside, I discovered a drawer. Something rattled inside. OH???? 10 bobbins, a bobbin case, washers, screws bolts, tension bits and a few mystery bits. Now If I track down a 16x231 needle, it may even sew. Happy Dance. I hadn't started the needle search since I was stopped by the bobbin. Sorry, pics will have to wait a bit... life, ya know.