What bobbin for the Singer 201?
 

I got to NC last night to help my DGD get her Singer 201 working. The machine didn't have a bobbin in it so they went to a shop and bought some class 66 bobbins before I got here. The DGS tells me that the machine is breaking the bobbin thread and that he has ruined the bobbins because they get stuck in the bobbin case area and he has to pry them out.

Maybe someone else has had this problem and can tell me a simple fix. But I suspect the bobbin isn't the correct one.

So, could someone photo a 201 bobbin and post it so I can see which bobbin is the correct one? I will be going over to their house in an hour or so and take my computer so I can get help if I need it. I've been anxious for awhile to get this machine up and running.... and with everyone's help, I'm pretty sure I can.

Class 66 is correct. However, I'm guessing they got the plastic ones. I've had best luck with original metal class 66. They are shaped like those plastic ones but work much better. I've had some plastic ones stick also and trimmed them to some success. Buy from Sew-Classic. They will work.

Class 66 Metal bobbins are the correct ones to use in a 201. The plastic ones "should" work if they are a quality brand but they vary a lot.
The problem is most bobbins made today come from China and their quality control is hit or miss. Some of the bobbins work good, others are terrible.

Sew-Classic has the nicest Class 66 metal bobbins I've seen. I just received an order for 50 of them. All of them are as perfect as you can get.

Joe

Same experience here, I like the metal 66 class I got from sew classic. I do have some higher quality plastic ones that will work fine as well. But crappy plastic ones will not work at all. Complete waste of money.

Thanks.... it turns out that the bobbins the DGD's DH got were so snug in the bobbin case that they wouldn't turn. So when the thread had pulled enough that the thread on the bobbin couldn't move, the thread would break.

We went to the store where he had purchased them.... he thought they would have different brands. It was an experience. The sales person first told me that I needed a different bobbin type.... she thought I said a singer 221 instead of a 201. Then she told me that plastic bobbins should work. We told her about the bobbins coming apart when the DH tried to get them out of the machine.... they were that oversized and stuck. She said she didn't think that would happen. We had the bobbin tops and bottoms to show her. We told her we only wanted metal bobbins and she started telling me about the plastic bobbin case. I said, there isn't any plastic in a 1942 Singer 201 and she told us we were wrong. She had seen 201s with plastic bobbin cases..... Oh my!

We went to a different store to get bobbins..... she didn't know what she was talking about even though there were some nice vintage machines on high shelves around the store.

The machine is working fine now.... no bobbin thread breaking..... how do those people keep their jobs??

I couldn't get the bobbins to work in my 201 until I bought them from Sew-Classic. Never have a problem with hers.

I bought 2 4packs of metal Singer branded Class 66 bobbins at Walmart. The quality control is terrible. Out of 8 bobbins only 5 of them fit properly in my machines. The other 3 were too big. At $.25 each throwing a few away isn't going to break the bank but it is annoying.
Rodney

It certainly is. It surprises me that they can still sell them when so many don't work.

Plastic wouldn't work in my 201. Had to buy metal ones from Sew Classic.

I have a Singer 2250 that I got for $100 new. Works fine, but the manual did not say how to oil it. I emailed the company and in a few days they responded and told me where to find the instructions. They are very responsive and if you cannot wait a few days, they have a toll free number to call as well.