Onebyone

I bought a Singer 185K in excellent condition for $20! I like it as much as my Singer Featherweight for sewing. My question is there a LED bulb that will fit in this machine?

Mickey2

Which socket type: threaded or bayonet? I think the spot type lamp often is E14, but they are probably not all the same. You have to find a shape that fits under the glass too, but I'm pretty sure there's something that works with it.

How heavy is it? I think they are cast aluminium and should be ligther than the average 99, and for a comparison, nothing is as light or small as the Featherweight. I have the bog average 99K.

Onebyone

I found one on Amazon that I will try. Screw bulb 15 watt. LED type so it won't heat up the light housing to 3rd degree burn. I'll post if it works. This little machine is really nice. I've never heard or seen this model before. Why is it so heavy? Using my cheap bathroom scale, in the case it weights 25 lbs. It seems so little a machine for metal to weight that much. LOL Not complaining at all. Love the weight of it. No vibration at all.

Mickey2

My 99 is heavy no doubt, my cast iron 201 is even heavier. Not sure about their weight, but my aluminium 201K23 weighs much less than the black cast iron version. An aluminium 185 has much the same relation to a 99. Is there any way to see if it's aluminium or cast iron body?

Compared to a featherweight it's a much more solidly built machine, you can hardly fault it and over load it with the average jobs. The inners are steel rods, soild parts hinged together and not made to be light weight like a 221.

Onebyone

The lady who had it said her DH bought it for her brand new to travel with when they first married. It was too heavy for her so she got a FW instead. She put this in the closet and forgot about . She is moving so started sorting items and opened up the case. There was a ring she had lost years ago on the bobbin winder! She must have taken it off and put it there while sewing. It was her mother's ring. Oh the stories vintage machines have! She gave her FW to her neighbor's DD. She has no children or younger relatives. That was so sad to me.

Mickey2

I'm glad she found the ring. Some of us doesn't end up married or with family, even if it wasn't the plan. I hope she has trusted friends and family though. A 185 in nearly new condition is a good find, not many bothers about this model at all, but it's not bad. I know my 99 needed to be cleaned and lubricated well to smooth out, a new motor belt made a lot of difference. Under the base the rubber feet was missing, and I replaced it with lots of sturdy funiture felt (the kind used under chairs and table feet). It's a smooth stitcher, and very well behaved. It's noisier at full speed, and if it's pushed beyond reason it start to vibrate, like stitching through two layers of hard leather. I can't really blame it, it's too much for any domestic machine.

Aurora

I would check with Sew Classic. She has almost anything you would want for a vintage machine. Prices are not bad and shipping is fast.

WIChix

If a magnet sticks to the body/bed then it is not aluminum.

Onebyone

A magnet sticks everywhere on this machine. I can have a magnetic light attached just where I need it. Why isn't this little machine gotten more recognition? It's truly amazing.

bkay

Is the 185J aluminum? If so, is it comparable in weight to a Belair Bantam? (Saw one on Letgo last night.)

bkay