If you want a vintage machine with one of the larger arm dimensions I would suggest a 201 or 15-91 both from Singer. Heavy as all the dickens, but solid, all metal gears and direct drive motors, meaning NO belts to slip. The 15-91 is an oscillating type machine and its a little easier to reach the bobbin case when you run out of thread, and the bobbins hold more thread than the 201. The 201 is about a half inch wider under the arm, but has a horizontal drop in bobbin but which I happen to prefer, however it means you must remove item you are sewing to get to bobbin case and the bobbins are smaller thus hold less thread. The 201 is a rotary type hook. I have both, and they both sew wonderful straight stitches forward and reverse and there are zig sag attachments and buttonhole attch etc readily available for them. Both are low shank machines. Really sorry for the loss of your old friend, but I suspect you will be doing the happy dance really soon. :-D :-D

I don't think so... :-(

Pauses with a moment of silence and then realize you get to go shopping for some therapy.

Time to shop....Fun, Fun Fun....There are a lot of neat machines available today...

Sorry for your loss but hopefully you'll be able to buy yourself another great machine that will also last a very long time. Have fun shopping!!

That stinks when you lose what you feel has lasted you forever, I felt that way with my 99.00 Kenmore machine had it for 25 years sewing clothes for the kids and then starting for the grands. I was doing Christmas items in Sept and it quit, took it in, they told me there were no more parts available for that type of machine. So I took it home and cried what would I do.. Well DH had a plan he went and bought me a Brother machine and didn't tell me. So when he got home and I told him about it, he hugged me and said he was sorry. Then I finished fixing dinner and he had it on the table when I brought all the food to the table (separate rooms)and I was in disbelief. When that one died I received another one and have a back up Brother as well.

I still have an Elna that DIED in 1992. I hated to lose that machine. It took me until a month or two ago to finally duplicate it. I have tested a lot of machines in the mean time. I can tell you what I sure don't like. PLASTIC deteriorates. COMPUTERS fry. I do like all metal, too. I do like something that is easy to see the needle - no looking past the tension - save on neck strain. I do like some fancy stitches. I do like a good light. I do not like a machine that won't stop where and when I tell it to. I don't like one that wants take an extra step before it stops. I prefer an old fashioned button hole maker to a button hole foot - seems like less guess work. An old precision sewing machine is one that is made well and will sew well. I want one that will sew through some heavy fabric as well as light weight fabric. Yahoo has groups for a lot of different machines. You might go nose around on one of them and see what is what. Some times you can get a feel for what goes out on them. Not all old machines of the same make are equal. Some were used harder than others, some weren't much good from the manufacture. Some were good enough to rival anything out there today. There are a lot of people on the FW and the 301 band wagon. Good machines. But you might not like them as well as something else. One or two of the old Kenmore machines have some pretty nice stitches too. I have my preference for presser foot - I like to try that foot on different machines to see how I like it. DH says "Good tools don't cost you money they make you money." He has never begrudged my buying a sewing machine that cost more than any of his power tools. My sewing machine does more than his drill or his saw. If you buy from a private person spend some time checking out the machine. Get comfortable. Check everything you can think of to check. Do you want one you can work on if necessary? A lot of the vintage machines aren't all that hard to work on now that we can find service manuals on line. Maybe you aren't inclined to work on your own machine. On CL there seems to be people who sell a lot of machines. Some of them work on the machines and can do a good job and sell for less than ebay or a store and you can get a great machine.

Thanks to the direction and advice of you vintage sewing machine enthusiasts, I started searching in earnest. Did a lot of reading in Vintage Sewing Machine Shop too. I found I was leaning most toward the Singer 401.

The exciting news for me was that it didn't take long to find a great one! I found her on eBay. She's more expensive than a lot of the rock bottom bargains I found, but she has been professionally serviced and adjusted by an authorized Singer Repair Service, which would have been at least another $100 in our area. The seller is also a sewing teacher with more than 60 years experience and she ran this baby through a few projects to make sure everything was functioning beautifully. And the seller is a little nuts about her two little pugs - which always warms my heart. Then, when you add in the fact that the machine came with everything and what those things would cost if I bought them separately... cams and accessories out the Whazoo!...Well, I'm elated to be this Singer's lucky new owner! Look forward to working on projects with her too!

So thank you everyone for your kind and funny words and friendly advice!

Oh no! I'm so sorry, but I think you got your money's worth out of it. Have fun shopping for a new one.

Your 401 is exactly like my mom's that my sister now has.

She looks like a beauty. I hope you have many happy hours sewing with her.