I have a "vintage" Singer Industrial 9580 and I love it.

This is what they look like (mine is kinda scratched up but I don't care). What I do care about is that I've had it since 1986 and it's been in for repairs just once!

I have a 1953 Singer Featherweight and I absolutely love it. It sews like a charm, nice even stitches and it is so quite when I sews it just amazes me. It runs so smoothly that no matter what table I set it up on there is no vibrating effects. Especially when I take it to sewing groups or classes.

Oh, my gosh I LOVE that pink FW!!!! CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!! That would be my dream machine!

That pink baby is such a cutie!
:thumbup:

Out of those listed it all depends on what you really want to use it for. The 301 is a portable and is a great alternative to the Featherweight. The 401 is a nice machine has all sorts of options with built in stitches and it can be either a cabinet or portable. But for me the 500A is the be all end all machine Singer built. IT will hang with just about anything the new modern day machines can do and it is virtually indestructible with gear drive and more stitches that you can shake a stick at.

All three machines are slant shank machines and all can use accessory cams for more decorative stitches. I have a 500A and I love mine!!

Billy

Oh, the 301 would be hard to beat I think! I am hoping to get one thru a friend soon! Like I need it, I have a Singer 15 and a Singer 99k that is a dreamboat to sew with. Love the fact that the 301 is lightweight too!

I won a 301A from Ebay not to long ago. It only cost $73, including the shipping. It runs great and came with the instruction manual. It is a shortbed and I hope to eventually get a long bed one.

I bought my 301 from e-bay too. It was only $100 and came from Canada in perfect condition. Mine is a longbed and I found a table (like a card table) for it and paid only 20.00 for it. Last week I got my darning foot and started freemotion with it and it sews like a dream. Took a little of getting use to cause the foot goes up and down, not like my others that stay on the fabric. It looks really good on the bobbin side of my fabric unlike my other machines. I wanted this one to take to class instead of my big Janome 6600.

I have the 201 and the 401, and absolutely love both of them. You will be happy with whichever one you get because they are great machines, and they are all work horses. I keep my machines clean and lubricated, and that is about all the maintenance required.

I have a 401 a 403 and a 503. My neighbor has a 500 that I would love to steal. Can't even hear it running. And she rarely uses it. Mine all have issues that I haven't been able to work out so far but they run. I also want a 301 just because its light. The Featherweight is cute and if I run across one cheap I will get one. But not craving one a lot.
My workhorses are a Kenmore and a Household.