Have you heard this about machine power?
 

My 15-91 old power cord assembly bit the dust. So I got a new power cord and controller foot wire and they wired it into the original control foot at the sewing machine shop (milwaukee sewing machine Inc). Anyway a friend who works with lots of mechanical equipment, machines etc told me that those old machines use a ton of power. More than a car starter/charger. I didn't know that. Or is he wrong? However I am happy to have a grounded plug and newer power cord/ wiring to the control foot. Makes me a little less nervous. I had everything checked when I first got the machine and was ok. Then we moved things around and the power cord did not look so healthy any more so I took it in. (After popping a circuit even though it was plugged into a surge protector- though with the old Un - grounded plug that may not have even mattered. )

Anyway- do these old machines really use so much power they could fry modern house wiring?

Well, My collection has no machines with motors, but I would be very surprised to hear that. Now, if they are comparing an old copper wound motor vs modern stepper motors and the like, sure, they use more power, but they are WAY within the power capacities of a modern house.

I would suspect a partial short in the sewing machines system (Motor, wires, plugs, connectors) causing the breaker to pop.

I agree with Steve. Home sewing machine motors are often less than 100 Watts, like 1 light bulb. Commercial machines, OTOH, are bigger motors and use more power, but that's not relevant here.

Your friend is wrong. Old motors use about 50W of power, which is less than a normal old style light bulb. Starter motors use many times that. If they used a lot of power, people wouldn't have used them.
Like all old things, they age. Luckily we can renew things like wires and brushes and make them new again. The only thing that's dangerous about your old SM motor is if it has faulty wiring (usually the rubber comes away and exposes the copper wires). Replace this and you have a better motor than a new replacement.

I agree. The power cord was starting to crack a bit :)

For a test run a car charger and watch your meter spin, then run the sewing machine and watch it.

BTW - the one tool that really eats the power is our Table Saw - a lot of use and we notice it in our electric bill. Even having the water heaters running on the stock tanks in the winter doesn't affect our bill as much as the table saw, and they are on 24/7 for entire months.

Hmmm...solar sewing! How about a wind-powered treadle?

We could put the capacitors in the decals.

Mother of Pearl capacitors???

Ya know, it might actually be possible to get solar chips in MOP appropriate shapes.... NO, not another project... Run away!!!

Wind powered!! I can just see my fabric flapping in the breeze.:D