MFord

I know, it's a plastic fantastic, but it was gifted to my church after it's owner passed away. I don't think it's ever been used! It runs fine in reverse, but the feed dogs just go up and down when you try to sew forward. I oiled it, then found out it's one of those that's not supposed to need oiling (!) then ran it for 5 or 6 minutes, but the feed dogs remain firmly of the opinion that up and down is where they want to go!

I could take one of my machines to the church, then part this one out, I guess. It has a nice plastic $30 case I could use for another machine, and some snap-on feet, and screwdrivers. I'm not really enthusiastic about working on it unless someone has run into this before and has a brilliant 5-minute fix!

What should I do with it??!

miriam

Check to see if it has been set to do button holes or some other backwards setting. If not that you may need to oil somewhere around the feed dogs or inside the machine by the reverse controls.

OurWorkbench

Margaret, Do you have manual? Can you download one from singerco.com? I would try to find manual and then make sure all the levers/dials are in the right place for straight sewing and then go from there. I know I thought the knobs on the 401 were broken/frozen until I read the part in the manual on how to use them. I'm wondering if it might somehow be in a "mode" for something else besides straight sewing - maybe buttonhole? I sometimes just start over from the beginning with the basics. Sometimes something simple as unplugging, replugging, move dial away from where you think it should be and then moving back will sometimes help. Good luck.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

MFord

Miriam - hugs and prayers for you as you care for your Mom! Janey- thanks! I think I've got all the dials in the right places but will check again tomorrow. I've also oiled everything I could find and tomorrow may find that something has loosened up! It really looks to me as though the machine thinks it's doing the right thing. I wonder if somehow the stitch length doodad has come unhooked, so it thinks it's supposed to just do zero length. Just not sure how much time I want to spend on it - I have a Wizard, a White, and two Necchis I haven't even looked at, and they are the nice metal machines. I may just give one of my working machines to the church and put this one aside for awhile-it's just not that interesting! But I hate to give up.......