I'd appreciate knowing what Singer machines are good to look for in yard sales, etc. I have a Featherweight, and also a 99-13. What others are too good to pass up at yard sales? Which machines would you buy again, or not? Thanks.

Well, I have my great grandma's 66-16, its a treadle, in original cabinet, and at some point she added a motor...I love it, but it was my Ma's, too...I hear a lot of people love the "red eyes"...I think some of them are model 66's, too...but not sure which model 66, or year...I know there are a lot of knowledgeable vintage lovers on here, and they will be along soon...good luck!

I would pass up any Singers that went to plastic housings and more plastic gears etc. Stick to the more collectable, all metal beasts:> They last forever and are in higher demand.

Amen! :lol:

301's. Rocketeers, 201's, 19-51's or 19-50's, 401's...

Almost any vintage Bernina, Elna...oops you only asked about Singers..

I've always picked up any accessories at a reasonable price, buttonholers, zig-zagers, rufflers (I must have 15 of 'em and I'd love to get rid of a few at this point, they're in almost every box!)

The Singer 301s are very prized. I have a black one and just LOVE it. I am using it much more than my modern Brother machine.

I also have a Featherweight, and just put a 66 back into a treadle. Plus a couple of others that are not useable right now, but will be eventually.

It really depends on what you like, but I certainly would NOT waste money on anything built after early 1960s, as they all went to plastic gears, etc. and are not reliable and cost more to fix than they are worth.

OK, I can see what the Rocketeers and others look like, but what are the 19 - 50 and 19 - 51 machines? Are the treadle machines? For some reason, I can't get them to come up in google.

Yes, this! :thumbup:

been looking for a good old singer for sometime now. just because I learned how to sew on one 40 years ago.also need a good machine for sewing leather.thanks ciecie

I think she means 15-91. They are great machines!

Thanks for the quick reply. That makes more sense since that one I can find on the net. What did we do before we had the net to look things up on??!! I'm learning a lot about older Singer sewing machines since I bought my FW in May and my 99 this month. Now what's next????.... It'll have to be a very good price, like at a garage sale where the price is too good to be true. I just love the look of the older black machines. And they run so quietly, or at least mine do. They are just so pretty too. And I think it's neat to have machines that are older than I am! Now is that telling my age?

Well, the 99 is just like the 15--just a little stubbier

:lol:

Singer 15-91 direct drive (no belt) is electric and the 15-88, 15-89, 15-90 have belts and are threadles or can be threadled. Some might have a potted motor. Most are not anything you would take along to sew at class with the exception of the Feather weight and Singer 301. Both of those only do straight stitch. the 401 has build in stitches and cams, little palsitc dishes that enable you to do more decorative stitches.

Those are beautiful! I badly want a 201 and a 9W to add to my collection. I have a 27-4 (treadle), 15-91, 15-96 (treadle), 66-1 (treadle), and a 66-16, none of them in cabinets as beautiful as yours. I heard that back then people loved the 15-91 so much but wanted it in a treadle so they made the 15-96!

You have some yummy machines. Do you have pictures? Keep looking for that 201 it is so smooth. I put one that had a belt but a broken potted motor in my threadle and it treadles wonderfully too.

I stuttered and even tho I *always* read my messages after posting this one slipped by me thanks for corrections re15-91 and 90 :oops:

OK, another quick question, what is a 9W?
And I agree not to get the newer Singers. I made a mistake a few years ago and got my daughter a cheap Singer, remembering how good the old ones were. It is NOISY!!!!!!! And temparmental! And I hate using it when I am up at her home. She doesn't use it, but piles up what needs mending for me to do. I wish I'd gotten her a better machine. The 'yard sale' Brother machine I got for $5-10.00 years ago is better than the one I got her. I'm thinking of taking up 'yard sale Brother' and getting rid of her Singer. I learned my lesson!!!

Wheeler and Wilson made a #9 then Singer took over and recreated the #9W. It's a treadle. I want one because it has a large harp space. Wanted to try to do FMQ on it!

I have to say that not all new Singer's are bad. I think some people may have gotten some lemons. I have 3 new Singers, 2 not so new Singers, 5 vintage Singers and 2 Brothers (one of which I gave to my sister). I have never had a problem with any one of them. I read on the Board how people bash Singers but everyone of them that have the fancy dancy Bernina's, Pfaff's, Vikings, Janome's, etc. have to periodically take them to the shop for tuneups. I have never had to take one of my Singer's in for a tuneup or to be fixed and I don't baby my machines either. I do everything everyone says not to like sewing over pins... :roll: My L500 does everything they do and has a 9" harp space :) I bet anything comparable would cost a lot more. So I say, let them keep bashing Singers and I can keep getting my machines for a decent price! :lol: :lol: :lol: I do like Brother machines except they are a little light for my taste and I don't particularly like the position of the lever that lifts the presser feet but that's a personal preference. They do sew great though.

The problem with the Singer I bought for my daughter is that it was a CHEAP one!!! Really, it was my mistake. I bought one of those ones that Walmart had on their 'day after Thanksgiving' sales, and it was too cheap to be that good. It is noisy and temperamental. I gave it to her for Christmas one year just so that when I go up there I have a machine to use if I need to fix anything for her. If I'd tried it before I took it up, I probably would have taken it back and gotten a different machine instead. It has come in handy to use, and probably if I used it more, I'd get more used to it.
On the other hand, my 1939 featherweight I got in May, and the 99 I got this month are quiet!! And they would have been a lot more expensive machines when they were new. It all goes to say you get what you pay for.
One of the women on this board got one of the new featherweight computerized machines, and I'm wondering how she likes it. I hope it is just what she wanted, as it is a cute machine too. I don't bash all new Singers, just the cheap one I bought.

It's just amazing to me that I've been able to get 3 great old Singers for a combined price of less than one cheap machine - a 99K13 ($40), a 401($25)and a 201 ($40)!

Annaquilts - I love your machines and their cabinets!

you might be googling the wrong #. 15-91 and 15=90.
15-91 good for heavier sewing, FMQ,not industrial.
201 is a gem for piecing, general sewing, my favorite.
401 is first machine for good zig zag, etc.
301 great for carrying to classes, no zig zag, cheaper than 221. I'd stop before the 600 series.

Hi AnnaQuilts,
I just joined this board because of you! A couple days ago I brought home my first 201 in a lovely cabinet and your 201 picture in cabinet is just like mine, in fact the first one I have spotted on the web. What can you tell me about this style cabinet, if anything? Do you know what the number of it is? I live in CA. Didn't think I liked the desk-cabinet at first, brought it home and now realize how beautiful and well made it is. Needs cleanup and some scratch touchup, but otherwise sturdy. If this lands in a diff. place, I am referring to your August post where you have pix of your machines incl. that 201 I refer to. I have included photos of my machine.

Hello!

Welcome to the board. I am also in CA. I think the cabinet is original to it. I know my 201 is younger then some of my other machines. I'll ask DH about the cabinet. I really like it as it is very big and has lots of storage. We left that machine in the cabinet and I have it standing butted up next to my sewing table. When not in use I fold the machine down and I have extra work surface.

ANY old, black Singer that is in working order...but you don't really want to limit to Singer machines. There are some cool Whites out there, along with Davis, National, Eldridge, and others....

Ha ha! If this is the Charlee I've already "met," on the Davis Group then I do indeed have Whites and a Davis NVF, as well as a "modern" 1978 Viking and a 1996 1090 Quilters Bernina. Love them all! Call me addicted.

If you don't have deep pockets and want a good retro machine buy an old all metal White - the older all metal Japanese machines are pretty cool as well. They will have names you have never heard of. There are some awesome old Kenmore and Necchi machines. On the other hand I've seen some old Kenmore machines ain't worth a plugged nickel. One we had back in the 60s was the very bottom of the line and just didn't get used much - nobody loved it - it only did straight stitch. Montgomery Ward made some nice high end type machines too.Look them over and see if you see ANY plastic gears or moving parts. They get brittle or what ever after time. Bottom line - look for metal parts.
Another thing to consider. Sit down at the machine and make sure you can 'see' the needle without craning your neck. Is the tension in the line of vision? Listen to the machine. Does the motor sound good? Does the machine clank and sound funny? Some times it will sound funny because there is lint gunking up the bobbin area. Or is it someplace else??? Has it been oiled? Do you see dried up thick gummy oil? Does the tension work? I recently got one cheap because it had a tension wire spinning around. Does the zig zag work? How much wear and tear has it had? Check to see if the thread comes up from the bobbin. My sister got a 301 very cheap because they had the bobbin cover messed up. You can learn a lot by reading up on the trouble shooting stuff on this board.

Annaquilts and Kazoogirl- I have that same sewing desk, and I've seen 2 more on Craigslist over the past few years. Mine came with a Necchi in it that I've never tried. Wished I'd been able to afford at least 1 more as I like the desk and it just fits next to my fireplace. Someday I'll put a different machine in it and actually sew.

What is wrong with that Necchi? I love some of those old Necchi machines - the engineering is a real treat!!! You can get manuals on line. Other machines may not fit a Necchi desk.

:lol: ~taking a bow~ That would be me! ;)

I love the variety that's available in the vintage sewing machine world! Each machine I have has something unique about it that makes it special....

ALL Singer Red Eyes are model 66's... made during the 1920's. Great machines!

I have an older 66-1 (see my avatar) and two 201's, a 15-91, a Japanese 15-90 clone, a 221, and a 403. All I am still looking for is a nice hand-cranked Singer portable. I have a treadle, and several belt-driven and gear-driven machines, but no handcrank... :(

Yes, I agree.

Honestly what ever trips your trigger and what you like. Just because I love treadle only machines does not mean that you do to. But like some have said stay away from the plastic ones if you can (although I love the Gennie from the 70's because of the styling) and you should be okay.

It is what you like and not what we like! :D

Billy

Yes I have a couple all-metal Whites in Treadles--love them! Grew up with a late 1940's era Kenmore, wish mother hadn't traded it in in the late 1960's. I sure agree on the plastic parts, which I have in my Bernina. To date, that machine works well though, it is getting quite a rest since I've gotten into the older machines. Can't beat that knee presser foot lift on the Bernina though. I agree on the Necchi--heard nothing but raves on their excellence.

The earliest Redeye on record is 1910. :)

Dad bought my mom a brand new Singer. She called up the other day wanting to know how to thread her FW. She's 85. I was able to talk her through it and she went back to the FW. I went over later to see what was going on and she had an extra thread in the tension of the new one.

Hello all,
I am newly registered but not new to the board and now can be a part of the conversations and am looking forward to it. The old Singers are just wonderful! I too love the Singer machines but not just for their quality! I just love the way the old black models look. I have several but mostly use the Union and Singer commercial models I have as I find myself doing more than quilting, curtains and awnings for my husbands teardrop trailer and dogs toys for our herd. I have been fortunate enough to find most for extremely reasonable pricing. My cousin and this board have helped repair and get them not only working like a dream but also looking great too. Thanks to everyone for the assistance.

66s - 301s 401s 500s 501s even have 18 or is it a 185....I forget. I think I'd pick up ANY Singer if it were in good to great shape and, of course, the price was right! You never know who 'might need one' :)

I keep saying I'm going to start a notebook for all the machines. A notebook to list the machine, model number, serial number and manual info. ahhhhh someday when I have nothing to do.....