I have a Singer Slant-o-Matic 603 Special that I learned to sew on. It used to be my mother's - she bought it used sometime in the '60s and gave it to me when she got a new machine sometime in the late '70s. I hadn't sewn on any other machine until I got a Baby Lock for my 25th wedding anniversary in 2008.
It is a fine machine and I'm just wondering if anyone has any info on it and what the general opinion of the older mechanical Singers is. The instruction book has a copyright date of 1963. I was born in 1961, so I have used this machine for many, many years. It holds a special place in my heart!

I LOVE the older Singers! I have the slant o matic 401, I just bought off craigs list!

I have a Singer Slant-o-matic 500A.... I ONLY use older machines. My "newest" machine is from the 70's. I think older machines are great! They are made with metal parts, and tend to be work horses!

Try posting your questions here

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-43881-1.htm

They are awesome with help and advice :thumbup:

I have a Singer Touch & Sew Model 603E. Is that similar?
I love it. I bought it used in 1974 and have used it ever since. It's sewn everything I've asked of it, from baby clothes, wedding gowns, all kinds of clothes for my daughter -- even a men's suit jacket and the upholstery for the one time I reupholstered a chair! I don't sew clothes anymore, just mend them. Now the only sewing I do it quilting and use it constantly! :thumbup:

I'm not familiar with the Singer Touch & Sew models - they may have been the next generation machines.
To the other Slant-o-Matic owners - I agree, it is a true work-horse that shows no signs of wearing out. I do have a Baby Lock Quilter's Choice Professional that comes close - metal parts, semi-industrial motor, solid and smooth as can be, and is a mechanical mathine. Not a lot of extras, but, again, a true workhorse. I tend to use the Baby Lock these days, because I think I'm "saving" the Singer by not using it so much. I have this idea that the Singer is on "borrowed time" and I don't want to "break" it.

The older models of Singer machine are workhorses. They are NOT plastic. I still have a model 628 purchased in 1963. Recently got a 1974 Kenmore a local charity store.
Love both of them. Along with my Pfaff I can sew anything.
Many older models machines are also metal parts.

My grandmother had the Singer slant machine and
was always breaking needles. Have anyone else had this
problem?

Boscobd - I use my "vintage" singers every single day! use it, don't worry, it can handle the use!!!!

I never had any problems with needles breaking on my Slant-o-Matic. The only problem it has is that every now and then when starting the bobbin winding, the leader thread won't break as it's supposed to and it takes a few tries to get a bobbin to wind. I've had it into the shop (a couple of different shops as we've moved around a bit) and no one has ever been able to solve it.