Even the venerable and much loved Pfaff 130 has a nylon piece in it. It is hard to see but it is there. Someone may come along and say it isn't nylon it is Delrin. I'll concede the point as I don't know 100% what material it is made of.

My Kenmore 120-491 supposedly has nylon gears in it. The instructions says so anyway. To me they look like cream colored opaque plastic material. I've cleaned them and I can't see any fibers or grain to any of them. They are just cream colored.

I do know they don't like to be oiled. They work better without it.

Joe

Geeze you all this is a very interesting conversation! I never heard of Delrin? Well, I'd say if the machine has a plastic/nylon knob on the outside - there is a probability that there is also plastic/nylon on the inside!

Steve, very informative information!

Nancy

Delrin is a highly "slippery", hard wearing type of plastic(?) One of its uses is on the slider pucks for sport motorcycles to help keep the breakable bits off the ground in a crash. The idea is that the delrin "puck" slides across the ground, grinding down as you hopefully scrub off speed and come to a stop, and preventing the bike parts from hitting the ground and disintegrating, causing fluids all over the road, which multiplies the problem, or from a body part digging in and flipping the bike.

Strong stuff.

Don't forget the "rubber" hook gears on the newer vintages too. The ones that don't like oils of any kind, and sit right below the hook that you oil.

I also don't much like stamped metal parts.

Great information. So, sounds like nylon parts could show up as early as 1951 (1939 + 12 years).

Miriam, what's the deal with stamped metal parts? I don't know anything about them.

I just don't like the stamped metal - harder to sort out all the workings of the machine IMHO - I like the old machined parts better.

The biggest problem with stamped parts is that if they get put into a bind, they bend. Then the machine's adjustments and settings go out of whack and it's all but impossible to readjust them.

That was a big problem with my wife's Singer 538. I've been comparing a known good machine to hers as I straighten bent stamped parts and readjust it.

Joe

Oh, my, so much to consider other than, does it work....Miriam, you seem to like the 15 clones? Also, any machines of the usual trusted age groups that one should stay away from?

Dorothy, Your Bernina 830 also has a nylon or plastic gear in it. But when it wears out ( or most often cracks), you can get a replacement for it.