JoneB

I use the Sew-Retro lube from the Singer-Featherweight shop for my gears and pots, also their oil with the long, skinny brass tube for hard-to-reach places. For cleaning and more easily reached spots, I get the larger bottle of Singer Sewing Machine Oil. I have found that there are plenty of opinions out there, and I have two thoughts about that. Oiling and lubricating is the main thing, and probably most out there are just as good at that as any other. That said, these machines have been around a long time, my oldest is a Singer treadle from about 1879. Keep ‘em cleaned, oiled and lubed and they will be around for at least another 140+ years!

bkay

I hope many other get to experience the machines from the 40's to the late 60's. Singer probably didn't make the best machines of that era, but they sold a lot more than the other makers. They are so simple and easy to maintain, they don't wear out and make a beautiful stitch. What more can you ask?

bk

williaty

I just had to go down this rabbit hole myself. Here's the summary of a month of research:

1) Featherweight motors and the potted motors (15-91, 201-2) require a fairly uncommon set of properties for the motor lubricant. Singer used to sell "Singer Motor Lubricant" just for this purpose.
2) What Singer sells *now* as "Singer Motor Lubricant" is not the same as what they sold back then and is not suitable for the motors
3) Tri-Flo and other PTFE (teflon) containing lubricants are not suitable for motor lubricant.
4) Most general purpose off-the-shelf modern greases are not suitable for motor lubricant.
5) The grease for the motor must have an unusual combination of a fairly low melting point, good wicking, and not drop in viscosity too far once it starts to melt.
6) Petroleum jelly (Vasaline) is commonly recommended as it does have the required low melting point. However, it does not have the required wicking and it also gets way too thin and oily once hot and therefore goes places it shouldn't. PJ is better than nothing but probably should only get used in a country that you can't find something better.
7) In the USA, the easiest thing to buy is Sew Retro grease from the Singer Featherweight Shop. It's also available on Amazon. It has the right combination of melting point, wicking, and lack of creep.
8) You'll need new grease wicks as well. A lifetime supply of it can be bought from McMaster-Carr via part number 8767K226.
9) The bevel gears in the Singer Featherweight 221/222 are meant to be lubricated with the same grease as you use in the motor bushings.
10) The bevel gears in the Singer 201 machines are meant to be lubricated with Oil Only not grease
11) The worm and worm gear in the potted motor machines (201-2, 15-91) can be lubricated with any light grease but it probably makes the most sense to lubricate them with the same thing you use for the motor bushings to avoid any possibility of grease incompatibility problems (some greases can attack each other and break down).

Lee in Richmond

Wow, Williaty, that is a comprehensive answer and will be Most useful. We had ordered two other products, skipping over the Sew Retro one because we didn't know what it was. Will get it now! Thank you for helping us, and all others who are perplexed by this same issue, to get it right.