Question:
There's a machine for sale at our church rummage sale. Did Singer make other machines that look like featherweights? How do I know if it's a featherweight? It's in a cabinet and looks to be in great condition. I was going to buy it for myself ($20) to use as a back-up machine, but I got on eBay and saw what they were going for http://community.here.com/infopop/em...s/icon_eek.gif
Any tips on how I can tell what I'm getting? It's black just like a featherweight, but I'm sure most of their early machines were.
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Melinda

Answer:
I looked through some auctions on eBay, and think this is what's for sale:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3246068875&category=60 5
Worth $20, with cabinet? Good for a back-up machine when mine goes in the shop?
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Melinda

Answer:
Get the serial number (including the letters) and the model number from the actual machine and I can look up the info for you. Or at least narrow down the model numbers to just a few that you can more easily look up.
The one in the auction was made in Elizabeth NJ in 1952 or 1953.
If it's gear driven it might be a 201. If it's a belt-driven machine, then ??? Is the motor built in or is it attached to the back? I doubt if that one in the auction is knee pedal operated. I think the pedal is only stored in that position (but I could be wrong)
The Featherweights are a lot smaller, as you've probably noticed.
Have you plugged it in and sewed with it? If it is a gear-driven machine and has any piercing power at all I'd say it would be a great machine for your use. (If not, you'll need a machinist to make new gears for it...) If it's belt driven, then it just needs a new belt or adjustment to make it pierce the fabric. These machines are wonderful as long as you only need straight stitching.
In my opinion the biggest draw of a Featherweight is the portability and ease of storage. And the super nice straight stitch.... A cabinet machine will most likely have the great stitch, but it will take up a lot more space when you're not using it.
This is fairly disjointed info. Hope it helps. Let me know if you have more questions.
Elaine

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Answer:
MelBay,
Thinking about that machine in the ebay auction, I'm pretty sure it's a 201. That's the machine my mother had and that I used for the first 20 years of my life...lol
It's gear driven and as long as the gears aren't worn it's a great machine. Once they are worn there is almost no piercing power and it can only be fixed by replacing the gears (which are no longer made -- at least they weren't 20 years ago)
So, test it to see if you can get a new needle to pierce through the fabrics you'll be using. (and the maximum number of layers you'll use) It's a fabulous machine in general and super quiet to run.
I wish I still had my mother's machine -- I think I'd pay to have someone machine new parts for it.

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