Singer Fashion Mate Model 237
 

Hi all... I got this from my mother in law. She may have used it once and it’s been sitting around since 1968. All original, all parts. I’ve tried using it, but the belt has deteriorated and it probably needs a new one and a good tune up... but where do I take this? Are there even parts available for this machine? I’d love to be able to use it.


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Sewingpartsonline.com has belts.

I have several of this model - I am very fond of it. It is very straight-forward to operate and hard to mess up. ((I also own Pfaffs and Berninas. 1980s era. - so I do have something to compare them to.)

You will probably need a new bobbin winder "tire", too. That is under the top"lid" That tends to deteriorate and then the bobbin winder thing won't turn. The bobbin winder "tire" is very inexpensive. That can be changed "at home".

Sorry - don't have any suggestions on where to take it.

PS - Welcome to the board.

Thank you. I am moving to Charlotte NC area and after some googling, I found a few repair shops that I can reach out to. I don’t have any repair shops in my current local area, so I’m thankful I’ll have some options. I’m happy that I can bring this machine with me and there’s hope I can get it fixed up.

My mother actually used the machine for an hour or 2 a couple years ago and it was as if it just came off the assembly line, but that didn’t last. Started skipping, belts slipping...

I would get an estimate for the repair cost before committing to getting it fixed.

I managed to get all of mine (inexpensively) - and I was just thinking about how much I would be willing to spend to get one of them "fixed" if that was the only machine I had available to me.

When one can buy "new" for around $100 or so - it becomes sort of a hard decision to make on whether to spend the money on an old machine (that will probably run "forever" if one can get parts for it) or a new one that might have a one year warranty on it.

The 237 weighs quite a bit - so it was "portable" when I was younger and stronger.

Yes, I’m going to call around to the repair places this week and dig deeper into these repair costs. And for sure, this machine is crazy stupid heavy.

Welcome. I have heard that this is a very good machine, especially for satin stitching. You said that you got all the parts, with the machine - did that include a manual? If not you can get one at https://res.cloudinary.com/singer-se...ng_Machine.pdf Was there an oil and grease tube with the machine? The manual shows how to partially clean, lube & oil the machine near the end of the manual.

The notes I have for one of my 237's says that the belt number is 193066. When I googled that number, I found https://www.amazon.com/Motor-V-Belt-.../dp/B01DZG7TXQ

Frequently if it is messing up while sewing, it is something simple to get these machines back in tip-top shape.

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Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
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OK I took pics, lets see if I can upload them. I have tried to upload 1 image, with everything the machine came with.

There was no oil with the machine, and to be honest, I think the oil might be all it needs! That, and a tune up - whatever a tune up is for sewing machines. :-)

The belt looks to be in good shape to the naked eye, but, seeing it in a pic on my computer, it looks to be fraying a bit?

Personally, I'd get the 237 serviced, because in my opinion it's better than most of today's modern machines.

I agree. That was my first machine when I got married. Sewed great and never gave me any trouble. Wish I still had it.

I personally don't think the belt looks that bad. It sounds like you would prefer to have someone else service your machine. I guess I've always been someone that would like to tackle some things by myself, with maybe some advice or suggestions from someone like my brother. This machine is a little more than something like a 15-30, 27-4 or 66-1, but still not hard. The manual is pretty good about where to oil and lube. With it not being a black machine with decals, it is easier to clean the outside. I have read about sewing machine repair (I use that term very loosely) people that basically don't have a clue about good solid vintage machines. They will sometimes use lube that shouldn't be used which jams things up if left to sit. Some will say that it can't be fixed (possibly offer you a trade-in) and try to sell you a new machine. Then turn around and do a basic clean, lube and oil to sell on ebay or wherever at a jacked-up price. Granted some of the parts are not being made any more, but usually it is something that either doesn't need to be replaced or can be adjusted to work. I have one machine (about 112 years old) that the tension assembly was missing, but still made good stitches.

As far as oiling, one wants to use just regular "sewing machine oil" and most will recommend not 3-in-1 oil. As far as the lube, there are a couple of places that sell lubricant that is similar to the original Singer lubricant as far as properties go. The Singer lube formula has changed over the years. A lot of people will use regular Vaseline Petroleum Jelly or Tri-Flow grease.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

I have a Singer 348 (Canadian) from 1967. I can tell it is a cousin of yours from your picture. Assuming your manual is similar to mine, it really is very detailed of what needs to be oiled or greased (if needed). Take a little time and go through the manual. I was afraid to get in there at first, never having dealt with anything motor or machinery, I did find a good repair man and had an initial tune-up done but have maintained my Stylemate now for 5 years. I enjoy being able to look after it myself.

I went to a quilting retreat last year. One project for taking a placemat and turning it into a bag. Her first instruction was to cut off the binding. Well I made my placemat myself and I put that binding on 2 or 3 times so I was not willing to do that. It turned out that she figured our machines could not stitch through what would be about 8 layers. Well I tried it - just like a hot knife through butter. Apparently at least some of the new machines are not able to do that. The other big point is that you probably have metal parts not plastic. They will probably out last us.

There are several on line stores for parts.

Welcome.

I just got my 237 up and am working on oiling/lubing it so I can use it again. I bought it way back when and have used it through the years. I took it to be serviced back in 2014 and it came back humming. My Brother CX155 just froze up on me and I can't take it in because the repairman is so backed up, he might not accept new requests until August!

I have bought belts and such from my Baby Lock/ Janome dealer, and also at JoAnn and Walmart. Our JoAnn used to have a special rack that had bobbin case, needles, etc. You can try downloading the manual and doing the maintenance yourself as long as the motor sounds good. Good luck.

Generally speaking, there's really nothing to "tune up" on a vintage machine. Given your 237 has had light usage and little to no maintenance, it probably just needs a good oiling and greasing and replacement of the belt and bobbin tire. It's unlikely there is anything out of sorts with it. Those items are not expensive.

I'd try that and see what happens. You can't ruin anything doing those chores. If it sews well, you are home free and have little invested. If it doesn't work, you can always get it serviced.

In my area, you can get good service on vintage machines, but the minimum charge is usually around $100.00. A machine you purchase for $100. will not last as long as your vintage machine. Electronics deteriorate.

bkay