Sewing machine gloat...

[llyd]

Sewed about three short test stitches amd the motor died....so, I tore the bloody thing apart and cleaned a half pound of lint out of it, and oiled everything, tore the motor apart and honed the armature and cleaned it, broke the glaze on the carbon brushes, and re assembled it...threaded, and played with the tensions a bit amd got it sewing pretty good...I am well pleased with it.
I am digging that pink Dressmaker....that is a fine machine...
The newish singer we bought has like 69 stitches...like I need all that...lol.

[Bill aka Mole]

And to think that some of us look at files and hammers in this same regard sometimes.

[Katia]

Man, lucky. I'm hoping to find an older Singer or Kenmore to hone my skills on, and people around here are nuts-- that includes Craigslist AND the thrift stores. The thrift stores always mark things way up-- a local one had a Singer 66 not long ago; it wasn't in bad shape though it had few accessories tucked away in the cabinet (and when I saw it again a week later, the accessories had mysteriously disappeared... inc. the needle plate...). They wanted $150 for it. I know of people who talk about getting machines for 5 or 10 bucks at a thrift store (and one who even found one for $2.99... and got it for 15% off...). You gotta be kidding me; not any thrift stores *I* know. I doubt they'd consider that kind of change to be worth dragging it out to the sales floor.

Around here on Craigslist, people commonly want $100-$200+ for machines that... just aren't worth that. Half the time they can't be bothered to even take pictures. They all say "ooh it's old it must be worth something!" and run with it...


I'll be hitting the flea markets and yard sales and crossing my fingers, and also calling the repair places...

[Dixiecat]

As for the tradeoff: My wife has a Viking #1. Outstanding machine when new, still a very capable sewing machine today, and anything but cheap. My antique Singer 15-91 knows only one stitch if I don't hang some old clunky accessories on it, but it will eat through some things, like mid-weight leather, I wouldn't have the heart to feed that Viking. (Don't get me wrong, I know That Singer is not an industrial Juki, and I hand advance the machine it when the motor begins to bog or get out the stitching pony and do it by hand.)

Again, you're comparing apples to oranges. The computerized machines are programmed to stop the motor when it encounters stress or bogs down as you say your Singer does. It's a safety feature that older machines don't have. I have a Pfaff 7550, comparable to the Viking #1. It will eat everything too with a little help. Just because you don't have the heart to feed it to the Viking, doesn't mean it can't take it.

My Pfaff is a fancy-dancy machine, but those features don't make it any less than the workhorse you say your Singer is. It's solid and made with quality workmanship.