Not so excited
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 3:19PM My Featherweight did arrive yesterday, Jim’s Singer 301 did not arrive today.
It was beautifully packed! And cosmetically, impeccable restored. Truly a lovely job, both inside and out. First thing we did was remove the oil pan to see how the inside looked.
;)
;)
Beautiful!
Then we got around to admiring the outside. The paint is quite interesting on this machine. In “real” light, in front of a window, it looks to be a very rich, deep red or burgundy. Upstairs under my natural spectrum florescent lighting, it looks purple!
I couldn’t resist a fun shot of the Featherweight in front of my Bernina 830.
;)
;)
These picture are not great, I intended to bring it upstairs, plug it in and do some test sewing, then take more pictures.
However… when I plugged the machine in, the motor started humming, getting continuous power from the foot controller even though I wasn’t touching it, with the needle practically trembling in anticipation of going up and down. Watch out fingers!
Within ten minutes, the foot controller was smokin’ hot! Not smoking literally, but hot enough to actually burn a bare foot.
The tension was terrible. I could see that right away from the included sew out sample, much, much too tight.
So the machine did not arrive in ready to sew condition. It’s going to need some work.
The tension I have adjusted, and it’s fine now. The bobbin tension was set so tightly that the upper tension had to be as loose as it could go before a halfway nice stitch formed. I loosened the bobbin tension to where it should be, and set about balancing the upper tension from there. I thought I was going to have to disassemble the tension unit, but Lynn Rowe over on Pattern Review shared a neat tip with me… you can press in the tension dial, and turn the knob to realign it.
Jim took apart the foot controller, downloaded the specs and diagram for adjusting it (which was way off), and it’s better, but not acceptable. I’ve ordered a replacement. Until I have a replacement, we can’t tell for sure if the motor noise is due to the foot controller or not. I sure hope so. It’s not usable as is.
Now I’ve never used a Featherweight before, but it sure sounds ugly next to my 201-2. I don’t use the 201 a lot because I dislike oiling it, but golly she sews like a dream, smooth and buttery and very, very quiet. The Featherweight is raspy and rough sounding in comparison.
I’m feeling a bit disenchanted at the moment. Jim’s promised he will make her run like silk, but I’m not at all happy that he should need to do so. The machine is well oiled and lubed, I’ve let the motor warm up, but in ten minutes, I’m ready to shut it off or risk burning my foot and making myself crazy from the raspy noise of the hand wheel and the whining of the motor!
Sigh…
Reader Comments (13)
Strange, infront of your 830, she looks burgundy. By herself - she's a totally different color.
I went to the link you shared where you purchased your machine and for the prices charged - this little beauty should come in tip-top running condition, especially according to the info that is shared with how these little babies are reconditioned. Jim is like Scott, and can fix just about anything...BUT.......I truly believe it shouldn't need any "Tinkling". Just sayin...
Hi CJ, I purchased my first featherweight a year ago from Desk Dave Featherweight Factory. It came to me with a years warranty. It is beautiful and purrs. Yours should also be a perfect girl. I hope you are able to contact the seller about the misrepresentation. Carla
sorry you are having problems with your machine. I got mine from ebay and it didn't work well at first either and I ended up taking it to several different people and wasn't pleased and didn't do much with it until I had Bea take a look at it -she is the one locals use to fix things. Pretty paint job.
Karen
I'm certain Jim already has done this, but I found that my motor brushes were nearly gone, and when I replaced them, it purred like a kitten. LOVE the paint color!!! I'm certain Jim can fix it. The motors are pretty easy to come by, and I have a newer foot pedal for mine, but kept the old one in case I ever want to sell it.
CJ, Great pictures. Thanks for posting. It sure is pretty..but smoking...Oh my goodness! I wouldn't expect that your machine developed these issues from poor packaging/shipment. I wouldn't spend a dime on getting new parts for it until discussing it with the company. I agree with other comments, the company needs to stand behind the product they promote as completely refurbished. I purchased my 221K on Ebay. It was sluggish at first. I gave it a good oiling but it still runs abit slower than it should. I purchased mine from an individual vs. a restoration expert. It came with the button type foot pedal, which I do not like. Best wishes on getting your little gem humming with glee!
Beautiful looking little machine. I bought two from Desk Dave and they are perfect. I've talked with him on the phone and he's great.
Hope everything works out....but really you shouldn't have to do anything to it.
Marsha M.
Wow that is strange. My Featherweight runs great with no motor noise. The only noise it makes is the purr of the needle going up and down. So sorry you are disappointed, but I am sure it can all be fixed. These little beauties seem to run and run.
I have the original carbon controller for my featherweight but I don't really like how warm it gets so now have an electronic foot controller. I know that Sew Classic carries them.
She is a beauty for sure! One time my foot pedal got really hot...too hot to use with even a sock on my foot. My friend told me to check the plug into the machine. I hadn't plugged it in all the way. After I did, she purred like a kitten. I hope yours is purring soon. What a fun little machine to sew on.
Oh CJ, for that money, you should have had a machine in mint condition inside and out. That is just not right. Jim should not have to do anything to it and the packing and shipping should not have anything to do with it. My featherweight was purchased in an antique store and is sews like a charm. Just isn't a pretty color though.
What a beautiful little machine. Yes, the paint job is interesting!
I understand your disappointment in the condition the machine itself is in. Is that grease or rust on the gears? I think I would totally clean the innards, do a thorough oiling and greasing. Does the internal cord appear to be in good condition? In the photo, it looks a little rough.
I am sure that with a little (or lot) of TLC you and Jim can get this baby purring properly. I have never cared for the original style foot controls. I find that button a nuisance. I really like the little electronic foot control you can get as a substitute Very quiet and you can sew all day without it getting hot. Of course, I keep my original foot control tucked away in case it is ever needed for selling the machine. I hope you get this little beauty up and running soon and the gleam returns to your eyes over this purchase.
I think I would notify the seller of your disappointment in its mechanical condition. It should have never left his shop in this condition - not a good selling point for a Featherweight.
Welcome to the world of Featherweights. After buying several of them on eBay and some arriving in perfect condition and others in not so perfect condition I can share your disappointment. Not sure if you are familiar with Dave McCallum but he has put together a two disc dvd set that is a complete "how to" video for maintaining your machine. He covers everything about these machines. He also has a section on the 301's too. www.featherweight221.com. I also have his book... The Featherweight 221 and I, which has been very helpful. Also if you are looking for spare parts I have bought from Glenn Williams, great service. You might also look to join the yahoo group for featherweights. I've read about the overheating of the foot control but can't remember what that was from (crossed wires??). Love the color of your machine... I've got one here waiting to be painted a black cherry color. Hope you are able to get everything all sorted out soon.
I purchased my first Featherweight last summer while in Lancaster, PA. It was just sitting on a table in an Amish shop and cried out to be taken home! So I did. Once I got it home, I took it for a test 'drive'. The tension was so tight I was afraid the thread would break! The foot pedal was running hot like yours and a little noise...but not horrible. I am used to my Berninas...640 and 1130...both pur like kittens! Anyway, I took it to be serviced and after getting it oiled , belts replaced and tension readjusted, it runs like a charm. Be sure to check your fly wheel to see if you have a backlog of thread wrapped around the inside screw....I had enough thread to have filled a large spool!
Hope you get yours fixed so you can enjoy sewing on it. Mine is standard black and I want all the dents and scratches of paint....like the 'oldness' of it!
Alice in sunny warm Florida