Vintage Singer 401a, a.k.a. the Slant-O-Matic. I won this from Ebay and picked it up last night. I got a good deal on it but it needs a bit of work. I started cleaning and oiling the machine and realized later that I wasn’t supposed to oil the gears…I was supposed to use a lubricant on them instead. D’oh!
I also spent quite a bit of time looking for the ON switch (which was not mentioned in the manual by the way) and finally realized that all I have to do is press on the foot pedal (duh). I’ve got lots to learn about this older machine but it is so cool to be able to see the innards and all the gears and parts (all metal). This machine is so much quieter than my Brother and feels totally solid. OK, no more buying sewing machines for awhile.
This is a remarkable machine!! My Mom has one on which I learned how to sew. After trying a few different modern machines, I too, went to ebay to purchase not one but two of these machines. (I bought two so that my kids can share one and I don’t have to.) It is worth it to try to find a manual for this machine–or to have a sewing repair person show you some of the things this will do and how to oil/lube it. For example, it is not immediately obvious, but you can use two needles at once without buying a special twin needle.
Enjoy.
Hi! I have one of the Singer 401 machines that I am going to sell. It was my mother’s. I have no idea what to sell it for. Can you give me an idea of what you bought yours for? Thanks!!!
Today I found one of these at a yard sale for $18 (that’s including the table)! I am absolutely excited, but it didn’t come with a manual. Is there any chance of someone scanning their copy?
I’ve heard that these sewing machines stand up to heavy-duty work. What’s your sense of this with the new machine? Will they sew heavy material?