There are/were no real long bed LBOW made. If you see one, it's because someone took the long bed off a mocha machine and put it on.

Yes, there are long bed black machines.

I have a black longbed. I've read that the Black and the Beige came in short or longbed, but the two tone only came in shortbed. Is this true?

Yes.

CD in Oklahoma

I also own a black long bed also, very pretty machine.

I suspected that it had been changed and that it had probably started out solid mocha but hey, you don't know if you don't ask. Apart from the color which actually looks pretty cool, the machine sews like a dream. I'm just happy to have one.

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 a two-tone, and I love it! I am still trying to collect feet, etc. for it. Love the slant needle too. :)

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

I got new feet for my 301 from Sew-Classic and my FMQ foot from there too.

I found a 301a at a flea market recently for $20 but it needed cleaning and had no bobbin cover but did have case and sews great after I cleaned it. Problem is the bobbin cover aren't cheap