Singer using new design of gears????
 

We were at JoAnn Fabrics and ran into a guy who said he had or worked at a sewing machine shop in or near Divernon, IL. When the subject of plastic gears came up he told us that Singer is now using spiral cut gears instead of the straight cut gears and that although they are still plastic they are not prone to breakage like the old gears were.
Since I don't have a new(er) sewing machine to look at I was wondering if anyone here had seen the insides of a newer Singer to confirm or deny what this guy said.

Joe

Elna and other manufacturers used those in many of their vintage machines. I don't know if their new machines have them or not. The do seem to hold up better. It would make sense Singer is doing this. I imagine they picked up lots of tricks due to the merger with Pfaff and Viking.

I looked at a parts source today and some of the gears they showed were spiral and I know the originals were straight. The Singer 538 is an example, the feed dog gears are straight I'm sure, the parts place shows spiral, same with the bobbin hook drive gears.

If this is true, perhaps retro fitting some of these machines might increase their longevity.

Joe

Singer would never retro fit the old machines - they are in business to sell new machines.

They sure wouldn't do it deliberately. What I was alluding to is that some of the later Singers use the same gears as the older ones. But they are now spiral cut rather than straight cut and are being sold as replacement sets for the older machines.

Do I need to post links and pics to illustrate my point? I'll work on it.

Joe

I would love to get the Singer anny machine. I am concerned with whom would work on it if needed. My old vintage machines, but DH works on them.

To find a technician to work on the Darth Vader machine you'll have to go to the Empirical Directory and look for a retired Imperial Battle Cruiser Crewman Uniform Repair Machine Tech. Or EBCCURMT.

They can usually be found in small cubicles with signs that that read: Sewing Machine and Vacuum Cleaner Repairs and Sales.


J:De

I have a Singer "Perfect Finish"...it's about 3 years old and it does have the spiral gears. I was told that my machine is the same as the " 2010 Professional"...in case I ever need parts..so yes, the spiral gears have been around for a while now.

Donna,

Thanks for the confirmation. I'm not really into the new machines. I like the old ones so the only "newer" machines I have any experience with are few. We've got the mid 70s 413s, 538 and 518, the mid 90s 4622A, and the 2001 vintage 3810. That is the extent of my plastic gear machines. I know the 4622 has the same basic design as the 518 / 538 for the feed dog drive, all three have straight cut plastic gears.

Glad to know that Singer is doing something different. I hope the spiral gears hold up better.

Joe

I saw the Black Singer 160th Anniversary today, my first sighting. Its like a small boat! I envisioned something the size of my 15. The 15 has more harp space! Would love the see the gears, spiral or otherwise.

If I ever get my hands on one I'll have the shell off of it pretty quick. Or at least enough to see up into the bottom.
I'm positive it has an aluminum skeleton and most of the inside is plastic.

We stood and visually compared the 160th to what we know about the 66s and normal sewing machines. The monstrosity has about half the work room under the arch as the oldies. Way not enough for me to use.

Joe

My singer is mid 70's and has metal gears.

What's the model number, if I might ask? My wife's Singer 538 from 1978 has all plastic gears.

Joe

The gears were made of nylon actually, I've replaced a few of them in my time. It's easy to do. They tended to get brittle if grease was used on them (a no-no). I haven't seen the inside of the newer machines, it would be interesting to find out if they have spiral gears.

Christine-,

Your comment about not using grease on the gears brings up another question I've had. On our 4622A and 3810, (both machines never been opened until we got them), and our 538 and 518, there is an amber to light brown grease on all the plastic gears. By the feel of it, it's very old. The grease is almost a wax consistency from it's age.

OK, If I am correct this is factory grease on the plastic - nylon gears. But most people say to use no grease. I'm curious if maybe the factory used a special grease not available to the general public which is why other greases cause the gears to deteriorate.

Joe

Joe, this is a topic that is somewhat controversial. Some folks will tell you it's not the grease that harms the gears but that the grease attracts dust and junk to stick to the gear and cause the problems, others will say it's the grease itself. I'm talking modern grease here, not old stuff. I would remove any old grease as you just don't know what it is! Triflow is supposedly safe for nylon and plastic gears and is used by a good percentage of people on plastic and nylon gears. Of course, what will happen in 30-40 years? Who knows...

Here is a link to a pic of the spiral gear..

http://www.asia-manufacturer.com/who...1315645540.jpg

Candace,

That is exactly what I'm doing. I've cleaned off all old grease and used Tri-Flow grease on our plastic geared machines. Especially if the plastic gear is driven by a metal gear. It seems to work very well. I won't be alive in 30 to 40 years so I'll let whoever is using them then worry about it. That is, if there is electricity to power them and anybody that stills sews then.

Joe

Donna,

Thanks for the link, I'm gonna go read it right now.

OOppss, I thought it was an r-tickle. It's only a pic. Duhhhhhh ....

Joe