Help on Featherweight Machine bobbin noise

Have to agree here. The FW is a great little portable machine, but has gotten so much more desirable because of quilters wanting them more for status than anything. The

301 does everything the FW does, at almost the same weight, has the built-in handle, the slant needle which makes it so much easier to see what you're doing, and more space under the arm for quilting (and other sewing.) The 201 is a real workhorse, and is a semi-industrial machine, the pick of professional seamstresses in its day. The 306 (and 319) is an amazing machine, incredibly strong with the addition of zigzag capabilities. Unfortunately, it also requires a different needle than most machines. It isn't portable, though, any more than the 201. OK, they will go into a portable case, but it takes some muscle to lift one.

High on my list is the Singer 401, which is a slant-needle zigzag machine with many built-in stitches plus the ability to accept cams for more. It takes a standard needle.

" I will use a felt washer on the screws" Only one of the screws should have a rubber washer. This is there to help keep the bed flipped up and to try to keep them from hitting the face plate when in the stored position. Use extreme caution with doing anything with the flip up beds, the areas that take the screws are nortorius for breaking, and aluminum is difficult to weld. I make my own felt oil pads from felted wool. Cost is about 1/8 of the ones being sold on the net. I use old wool blankets and wash in hot water and trim to fit. I have these on all my Vintage machines to protect the cases and bottoms whether wood or metal.

I agree also. If mine was not given to me I would not have one. I do have several Singers including the now coveted 301. I just hope they do not become the FW of the Millenium. Just think about it this way. $400 to over $1000 for a straight stitch machine that is really too small for anything but piecing quilts. And small pieces at that. And these are the same women who bark at the cost of an combo machine. Most of the women who quilt a lot in our quilt group do not have Featherweights, but own Singer 99, 66, 201 and bring a 301A to classes. We see very few Featherweights anymore because of the high cost to fix them if anything should happen. They are a huge investment anymore and the housing seems fragile by comparison with other Singers. I also think the gear driven motor is much stronger and the 301 had better needle peircing power. Recently we have been seeing al lot of the Janome Gems at quilt retreats. Nice little machine. Powerful too.

Thanks to all you again for your help. I have definitely solved the noise dilemna, and the rubber feet arrived today, so I put them on and they help even more. It sounds nothing like it did before. I see I am not the only one disappointed in my purchase, yeah, it's a "cute" machine, but not for the money, I just expected more I guess because of all hype, and the "cult" status it has achieved. Now when I see the word "rare" I laugh, because they are not rare. I have been educating myself and now I know I want a 201, 27VS2, and 301. Not necessarily in that order! I will sell the FW though. Just not for me.

You will love the 301 and the 201. Sweet machines, both. The 201 is very quiet, probably the quietest Singer I have. But I am particularly fond of the 301 for it's portability and the slant shank, which makes it easier to see the work. (Plus I think it's cute, too.)

I also have a 15-91, which is gear driven. The nice thing about that machine is that you can control the drop of the feed dogs, and graduate it to what you want (like on the 301). I'm finally getting around to trying FMQ -- set it up on the 15-91 and boy, I am psyched.

I also laugh about the 221 'rarity' issue. The 221s seem to be the most commonly listed machine on eBay! However, I do love mine, and will be keeping them for a while :-) I often sew/piece standing up at a kitchen-high counter, and the FW, which has a smaller footprint than the

301, is great for this. They don't take up much room and I can just leave it there.

Of course I'm also a sewing machine junkie, with 25+ of the old beauties....

------------------------ Adult: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing = in the middle.

Those are fairly common machines, so should be relatively easy to find.

FYI, the 201 also has droppable feeddogs.

I have noticed the prices of the 301's are climbing. Now all those people who stole parts off the 301's to put on the Featherweights are scrambling for ones to put back on the 301. But in the long run it is a better machine. Just sold a 201 and still miss her. BUT I do nave a 306K, 301A and a nice little Spartan with a walking foot. So I have it covered.