I am afraid I have caught the vintage sewing machine bug! I have been looking at singer 301, 401 and rocketeers. If you could have any of the three, which would you choose, and why?

I would want all of them!

I have the 201-2, and love this machine! Now I think I need the rest of the "01" machines! William, on the other hand, thinks I have too many as it is! :lol:

I have all of them and a bunch more. I use my 221 featherweight for piecing and 301 for binding. I love them all. I would use all of the but I don't have room to set them all up. The rocketeer is a truely beautiful machine and has all those extra stitches. You can't go wrong with any of them.

I have the Singer 301, 221k (white featherweight) and the 15-91 in original sewing cabinet. I gave my grandmother's Singer treadle to my DD. My favorite is the 301. It sews better then any expensive new machine I have or have I have tested in shops. The featherweight is nice for classes and the Ahhhh factor but it can be finicky when it wants to. The 15-91 runs smooth as silk. When I sew on it I feel like I'm really sewing not zipping through fabric. I wish I had the Singer 301 before I bought my newer machines.

I was just given a 401A a couple weeks ago... it had been in a garage and the people wanted it out :shock: I spent 5 hours on a Sunday cleaning it up , wound a bobbin and it ran GREAT :thumbup:

I'd choose the 301 cause that's the one my mother has and I learned to sew on. A bit of nostalgia for me. Who knows, some day I might end up with that very machine. I got a chance to use it recently and it still sews great. I agree with BellaBoo, it sews much smoother than my newer machine. It just seems like a solid piece of equipment and probably is since it's made of metal rather than plastic. :)

I have a pink 1948 featherweight I beleive it's a 201. I bought it to take to classes and because she is so cute! However, I don't use her and am thinking of selling her, then I talk myself out of it cause she was very expensive and would I ever purchase another and she is so cute! Did I tell you how cute she is. So I will continue to hum and haw about it.

Hard to choose just one. I like each and every one I own and use most of them regularly. Right now I am using my 128 handcrank and my 128 electric, something about those old bullet style bobbins. Oh wait my 301 LBOW is set up too. I pull my 201 out when I feel guilty but she's in a cabinet and hard to get at right now...long story.. I just cleaned and set up a Domestic Deluxe yesterday and should go out an give her a workout but.....I am waiting on parts for my 30K21, she's an industrial but my DH says I can't use her until he finishes up some woodwork on her.

Here is a pic of my cute pink girl.

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.

My 401 is the one I have set up in a cabinet for everyday sewing. The 500 series would be just as good and some offer more stitches if that is what you need. The 301 is my carry around (16 lbs) with its fold down handle on the top of the body. A featherweight (221) is another great choice to take to classes etc. The 201 is a real workhorse, but very heavy. Fine set up in a cabinet and you would love that as well. If I could only have one, I would be in real trouble!

Where can I get an instruction book for a Singer 5 thread serger?

[email protected]

Precious, just precious!!! DON"T sell her! You bought her for a reason---go see Toy Story 3---thst is how I feel about all my machines!

I would choose the 301. My sewing machine repair man told me that the 301 was made as the sister machine for the featherweight but was a mucu better and stronger machine.

I was just given my grandmother's model 27 treadle and am cleaning and overhauling it. I bought a 66 this weekend. The lady was dumbfounded I was able to thread it up and stitch out on it before I paid for it.

I will let you know which I like better after they are both cleaned and tuned up.

Now, what am I going to do with the handkerchief I sewed up at the shop? ;-)

I never saw a pink Singer before! That is too cute...what model and year is it???

Margie

I love my 221 feathweight and the table that I had made especially for it.

I have 3 singers, 2 featherweights (model 221)and a singer 99. I quilt on all of them. I am not a particular singer fan other than the OLD ones. I have 3 pfaffs..a 103 (treadle machine) 301 (heavy weight..will sew leather) and a 1200. I grew up on a pfaff 230 which my mother bought in 1953 in germany. She sews on it constantly. the only repairs on it was a new pedal which I bought for her in Italy in 1995 and 3 months ago when the Pfaff dealer told her it could not be repaired. I took it to the guy who cleans and repairs my machines and it took him 5 minutes to find out the "Pfaff dealer" had taken the motor off and wired in backwards when he put it back on. My guy charged me $10 and mom is going like mad again. She repairs and donates clothes from her church for a mental health hospital. She will be 87 in July and still tutors at the mental health hospital. Try these older machines and find the one that fits you and go for it. I promise you will not be disappointed. Most of them require very little repairs and will last a lifetime or two.

I have a friend that has a pink featherweight that is painted that same exact color (pale pink).I had mine painted the deeper pink shade by a man that paints automobiles.

My pink girl is 221 featherweight, 1948

I know that hers is somewhere around that year.It is a scroll face too.I actually thought it was hers when I saw yours.She loves hers too and she brings it with her when she comes to visit sometimes.It is either a 1934 or a 1938.

I love the sewing table you had made for your featherweight! Would you share the pattern? I live in Oregon / my son-in-law's hobby is woodworking. I have a black featherweight 221.

Wow

I love both of the vintage machines that are shown. The pink one is so cute!

I bought a Singer 401a at a garage sale--I had to have it serviced since knobs were "frozen" and even oiling and grease didn't get them to move. After I had it serviced, I use it more than my Bernina. Powerful, excellent stitches. Even my binding went on easier. I love all the decorative stitches, too. These machines were way ahead of their time; I highly recommend them!

all three would suit me quite fine.

Well, I committed to the re-org of my sewing room yesterday.
I will have 4 sewing stations ready to go. I settled on an
"L' shaped arrangement. I am putting a formica counter along the back wall (about 12')and rt. turn along the front side of the room up to the window. It will be supported by 4 Box cabinets with one adjustable shelf in each box cabinet. I'll be able to store the machines I don't use regularly there. I found a cabinet maker between jobs who is going to build the cabinets and furnish the counter top and install it all for %520.00. Since my husband is an owner-operator and travels the 48 states getting him to get this done is about impossible. I just sang "Happy Anniversary" and gave him the good news!!! Now to get the room emptied so that he can get it installed. The cabinet maker told me he would have it ready by next Wednesday. I have spent all morning moving boxes of fabric out of the room into my dining room. My wonderful sons in law will be here on the 4th with the mob of grandchildren and I hope they will move the furniture out. I cant't wait to see how well it does. I bought a drop leaf table at an antique auction to use as a cutting table, and I already made my new big board and life will be good!

Ihave a 201, 301, 221, 15-91, 401, AND rocketeer 500. The 500 is just a little sleeker than the 401, both use the top hat cams and do a load of different zig zag stitches, the 301, 401, and 500 all are slant needle and EASY to thread. I would go for a 500 if I could have only 1 zig zag. BTW I have a lot of machines and never met a Singer I didn't LOVE. For straight stitching you can't beat a 201. They literally hum with power (as do the 301, 401, 500) all of which are metal gear driven and not prone to gears dissolving like the newer ones, and since I grew up sewing on one, it has a lot of special memories of Mom. :-)

I have a 301 and 306. I hope to someday add a 401 and 500 to my collection. I may add a 221 to the collection if I find one reasonable.

ilove all of them but my 301 is my pride i use it for everything i just love vintage machines i have 6 of them