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Singer 15sĪs Singer progressed into the 600 and 700 series, they continued to make slant shank machines, but they started to introduce plastic gears, which wear out faster. This fifty year period was the golden age of vintage sewing machines.
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Earlier machines are more difficult to maintain, and later machines weren't built to last. In terms of manufacturing dates, they range from the early 1910s through the 1960s. They have entirely metal gears (rather than plastic, as is common today), and they're well-engineered and sturdy. They were produced in large quantities and there's lots of information about them online. For really popular models, like the Featherweight, there are entire online communities dedicated to them. For most vintage Singers, you'll be able to find detailed instructions on cleaning, oiling, common issues, easy fixes, user manuals, service manuals, and exploded diagrams of parts. It's also fairly easy to find compatible replacement parts because so many people have vintage Singers. The great thing about vintage Singers is that you can often use standard needles, bobbins, presser feet, and accessories. Again, this is an industry standard set by the popularity of early Singer sewing machines. Similarly, your modern sewing machine probably takes a standard 2020 needle (or 15x1 or HA1-these are all the same type of needle).
#Singer sewing machine models by year series
These were originally found in Singer 15 series and Singer 66 series sewing machines, and the overwhelming popularity of these two machines created an industry standard that most brands use today. If you have a modern sewing machine, it probably takes a class 15 or class 66 bobbin. These shuttles are difficult to find and don't work as well as bobbins. Many of them used long shuttles instead of the bobbins we're more familiar with today. These sewing machines all used their own individualized parts, which can be difficult to find today. In the late 1800s, there were many manufacturers jockeying for the top spot in the sewing machine marketplace. Singers are probably the way to go, since it's easier to find information/parts for themīut if it's really cheap, you should probably buy it! Machines from the 20s-50s were well-engineered and unlikely to need weird bobbins, shuttles, or non-standard needles Look for obviously missing/broken parts, holes where screws are missing, etc. The bobbin case should rotate or oscillate with the turning of the handwheel The feed dogs should move with every rotation of the handwheel The needle (or needle bar) should go up and down
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The handwheel should turn without too much difficulty This list is not exhaustive, and I'll go into more detail about some of these points below, but this is a quick-reference guide on what to look for in a vintage sewing machine. Thank you for supporting me! What to Look for When Buying a Vintage Sewing Machine I only link to things I like and use, and the proceeds help me to run this blog. Be forewarned, though, once you start rescuing old sewing machines, you won't be able to stop.ĭisclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a percentage if you make a purchase using these links. Here's my advice on what to look for and which machines to buy. Have you ever seen a cute vintage sewing machine at Goodwill or Salvation Army? But then you're not sure if you should get it because you don't really know what you're doing? As the proud owner of six vintage sewing machines, I've learned a lot (and made a few mistakes).