Touch and sew Singer
 

I bought a Singer 600E at Goodwill for $20. I was very happy about my find until I took it home and found that is more complicated that I wanted it to be, even though i downloaded the manual, I had a hard time threading the machine and filling the bobbin. The machine looked in good condition and I will take it to a repair shop to look into, but I was reading on the net about this model and it said that it was the best of the worst series of Touch and sew by Singer. Has anyone ever had this model, what is your experience?

I am not sure which specific model my DM had when we were younger. I do know I nicknamed it "Touchy and Sew" because it was very touchy to sew with.

Thanks I was afraid of that!

Sorry I don't have any real experience. I have just heard the nickname for them as "Touch and Throw". I hope yours is not that bad.

LOL - I heard the nickname "Touch and Swear"

I am sure there are good and bad with all models of machines, crossing my fingers for you that you have the peach off the assembly line and she will perform just fine~
J

I have a 600 model. The 600E was a change in the bobbin winder mechanism. My 600 has to be manually reset after the bobbin is wound, the 600E automatically reset. This is one of the last all metal gear machines Singer made, but one of the first wind-in-place bobbin machines. It does take getting used to. The machine itself is very similar to the 401 and 500 machines, but the main difference is that bobbin winding design, bobbins and the bobbin case itself. I don't especially like the fact that the bobbins don't hold that much thread. It does sew as well as my 401, 500 and 503. Hope you have fun playing.

Pat

Thanks Pat, that was very informative, My DH took it to a repair shop and found there are only a couple of minor problems, I am hopeful, I am throwing myself (literally) into machine quilting after 25 years of hand quilting (courtesy of RA) and i thought this would be a good quilting machine. I will post again my frustrations. LOL

I bought a 600E at a garage sale before Christmas. The owner said it worked fine, but I found one big problem -- the lever to raise and lower the feed dogs and the little buttons that hold the throat plate down was disengaged. We checked it out and could see that someone else had already had the bottom of the machine off, since it the cover was bent and held on loosely.

The good news was that if you didn't need that lever to work, it sewed very nicely. It also filled the bobbin like it was supposed to. I didn't get a manual, but it was easy to operate.

Because I didn't need the machine, I sold the cams and some of the attachments and gave the machine to our local sewing machine repair shop. They accept donations, refurbish, and donate the fixed machines to charity.

Good luck with yours!

Dayle

I used my sister-in-laws touch and sew in '73 and had a terrible time with it. When I told her about all the trouble I had, she immediately bought a Viking. She thought it was her that was the problem.

If this is the cream colored Touch & Sew I loved mine. Got it in the early 70's as an upgrade. It finally gave out and had to be replaced at Christmas time as it was not "fixable". Other than tune ups on a non regular schedule I had no trouble with it. Still have all the cams, attachments, manual and lots of bobbins (screw together kind). Will put it all on ebay when I get it all together. Miss my old baby -- she worked hard for a lot of years.

I bought one at a Thrift shop, it has a beautiful stitch. I am not good at winding the bobbin, but I have a bobbin winder from Joann's so I just use it.

My mom bought one in "68". Loved it. When I got married in "70 I took it with me and used it till it was in a flood , (in 96). never ever had any problems with it. wish I had another one.

I have had two so far, the first one was a school machine and they were upgrading and used it until all the metal gears ended up plastic then I got one from goodwill for 20$ and took it and the old one and the singer guy made one out of twoi, the one I got from GW didnt have a bobbin cover on it and he rigged up the other one and that is the only problem I am having, but back to your question I just love the darn thing! The one now is all metal gears and singer said it will outlast me!

The first sewing machine I bought was a 600, in 1963. My dh was at a remote Air Force site in Alaska and told me he bought a reel to reel tape deck for $500. My machine was about $300 -- it still runs beautifully. I recently got a 600e for free and have been working on it. The metal case it not machined as well as the 600 and in several ways, I found it to be of lesser quality than the 600. However, I am using it to teach others how to sew, as I do with another 600 I got for $40, a 648 for $40 (both in cabinets). All are touch & sew, all are workhorses. I spent more about $80 to get the 600e working, but have had no problems with it since. I have never thought the touch & sew machines were hard to thread -- or to wind the bobbins. Perhaps I'm just used to them. :) I do have about 5 other machines as well, including a Janome 6500, so have some experience with the computerized ones too. My preference for good standard reliability are the two Singer 600's. Parts aren't expensive, bobbins are easy to find and hold the same amount of thread as the spools for the 66's and 99's. I liked the bobbins because you could easily check to see what was left -- didn't have to take it out to see. Hope you have good luck with your new toy.

I have the cream colored Golden Touch and Sew - it's still going strong after 40 years. Love it! Have an Elna and a Featherweight, but the Touch and Sew is my all time favorite. Sorry you're having trouble with yours. Hope you get it resolved.

I got a touch and sew at at garage sale this summer let me know what you want for the cams I didn't get any thanks Cookie

thank you very much, I am anxious to get it back from the repair shop, the repairman said " they don't make them like this anymore!" I have a Janome that I like but it's hard to machine quilt on it, and a Necchi I had for 45 years and it's not repairable anymore, but I keep it for sentimental reasons. I wish I would collect machines like I collect fabric, abundantly and with abandon.

My mom had a "golden" touch and Sew in the early 60's. It lasted forever- until the only plastic part - the gear that runs the bobbin - broke in in 2004. I have had to replace it twice since then. So, off to the closet for it until I can get one from the original machine manufacturer- hopefully one day.

I bought a used T&S 620 for $20 about 10 years ago (included the table and the entire contents of the table...which was alot...everything I needed to start sewing again). This was about 10 years after giving up sewing because of frustration from a Kenmore I had purchased brand new and it had given me nothing but aggravation. I absolutely LOVED that T&S! It sewed through anything and never gave me any problems until I burned it out about a year later. That sewing machine renewed my interest in sewing, so I still have a soft spot for the T&S's.

I don't have a 600E but I did buy a 646 - knew it had problems but ended up it will not sew. It runs quite well but doesn't pick up the thread and nothing in the bobbin area moves. Mine has plastic gears and some of the gears are messed up. "Touch and Throw" seems to be a very common name for them. I'm going to sell mine for parts and maybe get back part of my money. Hope you have good luck with yours.

I have a Golden Touch and Sew and a silverish one. They still work perfectly. Altho there are newer machines in my room, I can never see getting rid of either of them.

The automatic bobbin winder is a great idea - why didn't the other companies use that on all their machines, I don't know. You never have to take the bobbin out at all - just push a button and continue sewing!

I purchase a Golden Touch and sew singer in about 1973, and I can tell you it was the worst machine I have ever owned. I now belong to a Sr. Center and someone donated all the old singers same type and they are not good machines, hope you luck out with it. I now have baby locks and they sew rings around any singer. Maybe the 1930 singers are okay, but non of the touch and sew series seem to be any good. Most quilters and sewer don't have any singers except the featherweights. I hope you luck out for I know what my I think of them and I wouldn't giving one to any one except someone I hate.

yep that's the one, hurry up and put the stuff on ebay, I may buy the lot from you, if the repair shop fixes it!

No it has a weird bobbin you can unscrew it and the top is larger than the bottom. it selfwinds when it's empty I guess! or maybe I have to rewind it but it stays in the bobbin case!

I had a new Golden Touch and Sew by Singer back in 1968 and I still have it. It works great. I spent many years sewing on this machine since I didn't purchase my Bernina until 2008. Does yours have a gold front on one side and a drop in bobbin under the needle?

I got my Touch & Sew 600 for $20. I got it mostly because it could do a chain stitch. I have all the cams. I find most of my bobbins at a second time around craft store - usually still new in packages. i got a lot of White FR and FW bobbins that way, too - guess people are thinking - what are these things for?

I had the touch & sew when it first came out...Bought it at the "HomeShow"...It was the most beautiful looking macine, but that is where it ended...The bobbin was always a problem, adn it was in repair more than in use. Know how you feel.

I have 4 touch and sews sitting out in the garage, all with something wrong with them, They were given to me and when I have time I will check them out, but after reading all the posts, it isn't high on my list of things to do.

Mary

[QUOTE=rosiewell;4883895]I bought a Singer 600E at Goodwill for $20. I was very happy about my find until I took it home and found that is more complicated that I wanted it to be, even though i downloaded the manual, I had a hard time threading the machine and filling the bobbin. The machine looked in good condition and I will take it to a repair shop to look into, but I was reading on the net about this model and it said that it was the best of the worst series of Touch and sew by Singer. Has anyone ever had this model, what is your experience?[/QUOTE Hello rosiewell;4883895, I am sorry to hear your
dilemma. Actually your 600E machine is the best Singer "touch and Sew" machine made. One of the reasons is it is has all metal gears- no plastic. The next model after that had poly/nylon blend gears that would shatter if you hit a pin and broke the needle (the #620). You got a very good deal for $20.00 and the accessories are easy to find on E-bay. I have sewed on the 600E since 1964 and I love the machine.
I don't think there is anything wrong with your machine, I believe you will just need to get adjusted
to the "feel" of the machine and the fact that it is a bit different from "typical" sewing machines.
The wonderful thing is you can oil it yourself and not need to have it serviced. It will sew smooth and
fast, and you will enjoy the visibility factor of the "slant needle", just wait till you sew your first zipper,
it is like no other machine. As a matter of fact I have collected "spares" due to the fact parts are more
difficult to find and I hate the cheap plastic "Chinese" machines that are new on the market. I know
some repairmen hate the machine ( a lot of the younger ones have no idea how to adjust them- I learned myself) Hang in there... I think you will eventually like your "new machine", it will just take a bit of "getting used to..."

I have one I keep for parts. My sister says you have to make sure the bobbins are good - a nick or a crack or too much thread or what ever will keep it from working right.

I acquired a 600E, my question has to do with the bobbin. It does not want to lock in. Was sewing ok but
then decided to clean & oil it. So now the bobbin case will not lock in, does it need to have a bobbin in the case/holder? The black lever on the right will just come all the way out and not exactly sure where it locks into the case/holder, does any one have any pic's or explain it to me.
Thank you.