Its undoubtedly gone...but I the other day I saw an old Mongomery Ward sewing machine. The old heavy metal body. It MAY have been a converted treadle machine. There was a thigh bar for adjusting the speed, and it was one of the ones built into a cabinet and I believe the machine lowered into the case...it was marked $25. Should I have bought it? If its still there should I buy it? It also had a box of accessories with it...small box..about 4"x6"x2"...
Speaking just for myself, I would pass on it. The old Montgomery Ward (and Sears) machines were badged machines, usually made by White. They probably still sew well but they are driven by a friction wheel rather than a belt, and the system develops a "flat spot" that is very irritating. They take a different attachment type, too.
Others may disagree, and have good reasons.
"Pogonip" wrote
I don't know anything about old MW or Sears machines but wanted to jump in to support old White machines. I have one from the early 70's (a model 930) which is a FABULOUS machine! White used to make top of the line machines before they were bought out by someone else (I've lost track of who bought who...) and the brand is now used to make cheap, junky machines. Maybe the old MW and Sears machines weren't TOL? Or maybe some models are better than others??? I just know that my vintage White holds it's own with my vintage Pfaffs!
-:¦:- ·.·´¨ ¨)) ¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) ..·´ Chris ((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- ((¸¸ ·.·
snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com Washington State, USA
That depends, I think. The White's you can get at sewing machine shops are pretty good. Inexpensive starter machines, to be sure, but not cheap junk. If you buy one from Hancock/Joann/WalMart/Target, it's probably not going to be as good.
I remember that in the 70's my mom was on the hunt for a new SM. She tried a White, and it was a piece of junk (bought it at Sears, iirc). She replaced it a couple of years later with a White from a sewing machine shop, and used that one for over 20 years. (She's got a mid-line Viking now, and is happy with it.)
Speaking from personal experience, I have a White that I bought from a sewing machine shop, and it's quite nice. I don't use it all the time, but that's because my MIL gave me her old Viking #1. There are things that the White does better than the Viking, so I keep it around.
-- Jenn Ridley : snipped-for-privacy@chartermi.net
The really old Whites - the Family Rotary, for instance - are great machines. My grandmother bought a new one in a treadle in 1919 and my cousin has it - it's still going strong. I don't like the way they did the added on motor with the friction drive. You also need to be aware that they have bottom-fastening attachments and there are a lot of those for other machines that don't fit the White. I have three White Family Rotaries. One is the rough finish, one has the embossed finish, and one has the colorful decals. I also have a Kenmore badged White that is all angles - very "modern" when it was sold.
The Montgomery Ward badged Whites that I have seen are huge, heavy machines with the rough finish ("godzilla") and have solid handwheels and the friction drive. I much prefer my embossed White or my decaled one.
It really depends on what you want. If you like it, if the price is "right" - and if you don't have the notion that you can only have one machine, then go for it.
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