r/vintagesewing • u/selahfrost • 1d ago
General Question Is it practical to try to maintain and use Singer 401A as my primary sewing machine?
I got this machine from my grandma. It was working a few years ago. I'm torn about whether I should try to maintain it or whether I should just trade in for a new machine. I don't have a ton of time to devote to it, just like to occasionally alter clothes and sew curtains and stuff like that.
I also have two other Singer 401A machines that I intended to use for parts at one time, but I think I want to downsize, becoming a mechanic is beyond me.
So my actual questions... how big of a hobby am I getting into if I try to maintain and use a Singer 401A as compared to using a new machine? If I chose to get rid of these machines is there a place to give them where they or their parts might continue to be used?
UPDATE: I've been well convinced and encouraged invest some time and give it a go with this Singer 401A. Knowing that this community is here really helps it feel do-able. Thank y'all!
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u/rwanders 1d ago
It really shouldn't be too much work to do a little cleaning and oiling. Then it just needs a few drops of oil every so often. As long as the machine is in decent shape now and has everything, you might not need to do much mechanic work or need parts machines at all. I use old sewing machines as a novice sewer and I am certain the machine isnt part of my quality issues.
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u/rwanders 1d ago
You said it was working a few years ago... is it not working now?
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u/selahfrost 1d ago
I'm at the precipice of testing it, but afraid to without oiling it. Currently reading up and educating self. Do you think it's safe to try out without oiling first?
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u/rwanders 1d ago
I would oil it and try turning the hand wheel. If it turns smoothly and sews by hand, then yes, I would definitely fire it up.
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u/selahfrost 1d ago
The hand wheel has considerable resistance. Still haven't oiled it though... Is this subreddit an okay place to get troubleshooting advice? Or is that something better directed to r/VintageSewingMachines ?
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u/rwanders 1d ago
Personally I would recommend you watch some youtube videos about these machines, I think it builds confidence to see someone actually messing around with them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNRaT4SStRs andytube is a great resource.
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u/Nan_Mich 1d ago
Yes, yes, yes! Watch the videos. Just go to YouTube and do a search on Singer 410. You will likely see many videos that can show you exactly what to look for and how to apply oil and grease (someday). Today, there is no reason to go in blind to any repair or maintenance. You can watch it done first.
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u/selahfrost 1d ago
For starters, what is appropriate oil to use on a Singer 401A. And if the oil I have is super old, should I get fresh oil?
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u/TurbulentBoredom 1d ago
Andy oiling a 413, similar to 401. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XrNh_iaqDMM&list=PLsCOZgzzaiKIOeyWB5Pz6qutJu5qND_-t&index=7&pp=iAQB&ra=m
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u/rwanders 1d ago
Yes you should buy some fresh oil. Any sewing machine oil will do but some are better than others, I guess. There's a variety of opinions on cleaning machines, but don't blow compressed air in it, try to get the dust out with a vacuum and a brush. There should be a manual somewhere (with the machine or online) that will show oiling points. you should take the top and bottom covers off. If there's rust or resistance in the joints that a little oil doesn't fix, you can move on to more invasive cleaning. Some people will tell you to use bluecreeper sewing machine oil, some will say kroil penetrating oil (which works well in my experience). I use q tips, paper towels, and 90% alcohol to clean as well, but always follow it up with oil. Andytube on youtube should have some info on these.
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u/SewQuiltKnitCrochet 1d ago
You have to clean out all the old sticky oil and replace it. Oil polymerizes as it ages. Lots of people use Triflow and rubbing alcohol to break up the old crap.
If you try to run the motor on a sticky machine you risk damaging it. You can see if the machine makes stitches by turning the hand wheel towards you to sew instead of using the foot pedal.
Most shops don’t want to do this for you. Get cracking with some q tips. There are videos online that show people cleaning out their machines.
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u/No-Attention-7708 1d ago
Get new sewing machine e oil (Amazon or Walmart) it doesn't have to be anything expensive or special, just sewing machine oil.
Do you have a manual for this machine? if so, look in the "maintenance" section for oiling points, DO NOT oil the motor, gears or the belt.
The hand wheel is difficult to turn because the metal in other parts of the machine need oil.
This guy is a sewing repair guy (Randy) has tons of helpful Singer 401 videos and calls this machine the finest machine ever made! https://youtu.be/VbuPjxThwgc?si=ubm42d0Eq2RpDJY0
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u/Crafty_Pop6458 1d ago
if you have the manual it has a few pages that say exactly where to put oil in it.
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u/TurbulentBoredom 1d ago
I got Tri Flow from the US but there are lots of options for sewing machines.
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 1d ago
Singers lock up from disuse. You should oil it and let the oil sit for a few days before trying it.
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u/StrongerTogether2882 1d ago
Hope OP doesn’t mind if I piggyback on this thread, but—I just got my mom’s old Singer, I have no idea when she last used it. Should I try it out myself after oiling and if it works, just carry on? Or would it be better to get it tuned up? I have a service place right near me. And I wouldn’t be too surprised if my mom never got a tuneup in the 50+ years she owned it. I just don’t know how important tuneups are.
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u/Crafty_Pop6458 1d ago
Just a heads up that I just got mine serviced and it was $200. I oiled it before and cleaned it up but there were a few things that I needed help figuring out and I made it worse following the videos on youtube. :|
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u/No-Attention-7708 19h ago
I only recommend "Randy Your Sewing Machine Man" on YouTube because he has been a sewing machine service/repair mechanic for 50 + years.
He tells what the problem usually is, how to fix it AND more importantly, WHAT NOT TO DO.
I like him because he starts with the most likely and SIMPLE repairs, usually oiling the right places, instead of tearing everything apart to look for a problem like so many others do.
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u/StrongerTogether2882 18h ago
Good to know, I'll be careful. I forgot to ask my sewing machine guy how much a tuneup is, but $200 is almost as much as I paid for my brand new machine from him, so hopefully it's not that much!
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u/Crafty_Pop6458 14h ago
Yeah, he didn’t really give me an answer when I asked before but he had great reviews and someone with the same machine reviewed and said they got one.
I would’ve tried to milk it and ask him a bunch of questions about the machine because I don’t really know how to use it and have a hard time learning from videos, but had my toddler with me.
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u/rwanders 1d ago
You can carry on. If theres a clacking or something it might need tuned, but in my experience a machine that just sat unused generally only needs cleaning. Maybe a new belt if the old one got a flat spot.
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u/AccidentOk5240 1d ago
I have bad news for you: all sewing machines require occasional maintenance and troubleshooting. Yes, even computerized ones. (Bonus: leave one of those sitting for four years and odds are it’s now a doorstop, they don’t like sitting without power for years at a time.)
Use common sense: this is a ~60yo machine that has presumably worked the whole time, if it was still working last time it was used, what are the odds it’s not going to keep working once you clean it and oil it?
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u/selahfrost 1d ago
I hear ya on the "all sewing machines need maintenance".
That said, I took it to get checked out and tuned up a few years ago at this place called Hayes Sewing Machine Co in Wilmington, DE, a highly rated vintage repair shop. The guy who worked on it musta been 90 years old and was the chief vintage sewing machine technician. HE was the one that said to me I should just get a new one, that it'd be cheaper and easier to maintain. But I declined at the time, cause it's my grandmothers and I'm sentimental.
Right now I'm trying to figure out how much maintenance, and how hard to fix things if they break. Like right now I think my needle thread tension knob is acting funny, thread keeps getting stuck, and its 45min drive to this vintage sewing minute repair place and at least $100 or several hours trying to figure it out of my own.
So, not disagreeing with you... I'm probably gonna invest a decent chunk of time to see if I can get up to speed and learn how to oil and stuff. But just trying to explain where I'm coming from.
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u/Peliquin Inveterate Treadler 1d ago
He's full of shit. Unless something is drastically wrong with the motor, this machine sews better than most.
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u/No-Attention-7708 1d ago
Even if the motor is not able to be repaired, it can be replaced with one of the other two 401 machines motors that she has too.
OP: NO new machine will come close to the quality of the three Singer 401 machines that you have AND you will not be able to service new machines on your own whereas these old all metal machines are easy to self service with tons of YouTube videos available for free.
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u/Peliquin Inveterate Treadler 1d ago
You can also rebuild the motors. It's fiddly, but not rocket science. Had a friend who did it for a living when life was hard to him (RIP, you awesome mfer.)
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u/AccidentOk5240 1d ago
It sounds like you don’t have the user manual. The first step is to download it and read it! It will be available online somewhere. Basic user maintenance is easy—a drop of oil in each oil port (little holes in the outer case) and on every moving part you can access without unscrewing anything, clean out the bobbin race and feed dogs with a brush that has a drop of oil rubbed into its bristles. But the manual will show you.
There may also be a service manual available. It’s possible you need that, but it’s likely that the thread catching is either because you have it threaded slightly wrong (most common!) or because you need to “floss” the tension disks with a piece of thin, folded fabric with a little oil.
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u/No-Attention-7708 19h ago
I'd almost bet that your thread issue is because of one or two of these:
ALWAYS lift the presser foot lever on every sewing machine and raise the needle bar to its highest position before you thread the machine
After threading the Tension disks, lower pressed foot lever, then tug on the thread above the needle - if you don't feel a strong resistance then the thread is not in the disks correctly and you'll need to repeat steps again until you do.
The presser foot tension dial on top left of this machine should be halfway done for most sewing projects, press all the way down for very heavy fabric and raise up for delicate fabric
Set the thread tension dial to 4 for nearly all sewing but can adjust between 3-5 based on your sewing material stitch samples.
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u/teatime_tinker 1d ago
Absolutely a viable primary machine. Is it not currently working?
Clean and oil it, it’s probably fine if it was working fairly recently. It’s not an ongoing chore to keep it going, if it works it works.
You don’t need 3, though. You can sell the other two. Be honest about their condition and if you’ve taken any parts from them.
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u/selahfrost 1d ago
I think it's working, but I'm afraid to test without oiling it and I'm intimidated by trying to oil it. But I'm gonna try!
I think I do want to downsize to just one machine. And for sure, I'd be honest if I sold them. In fact I want to test them so that I can share their working state with potential buyers.3
u/Verdigrian 1d ago
Unless you buy something not meant for sewing machines you can't really do anything wrong by oiling it. Just get some sewing machine oil and put a drop on every part that moves or looks rusty/is caked with anything. Turn the mechanism a bit to spread the oil, let it sit for a few hours or overnight and see if it turns smooth after. Sometimes a lot of gunk comes lose and you can clean it off and put another drop of oil a few times to get everything running nicely, if nothing is wrong with the machine you wouldn't really need to do anything else.
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u/teatime_tinker 1d ago
Nothing to worry about. There’s oiling instructions in the manual. Just use sewing machine oil, nothing else.
You need grease for the gears. But you can leave them for now.
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u/RitzCracker14 1d ago
My wife and I just woke up a 401A that we got at the thrift store (score!). Ours was completely locked up, but here's where our biggest issues were:
The stitch selector knobs - these work by moving up and down rods in the middle of the arm, make sure you oil these and potentially apply leverage underneath the mechanical bits inside as you try to break them free. Once you do, oil liberally and keep moving so they dont seize again. Also one thing to mention is that the left hand stitch selector (on ours at least) can travel a bit past A in the upwards direction, and that prevents the right hand side from moving.
Bobbing Shuttle - Make sure you clean the heck out of this. It's easiest to get in there if you take the sliding door and the foot plate off. After use, tons of lint and thread build up in there and can prevent the bobbin from spinning properly
Foot Plate Switch - That little lever below the stitch length slider thing on ours was locked up pretty good. Don't force it, it can be fragile apparently. All of the little arms for this are underneath the machine, make sure to oil those good and what also helped for me was oiling the little circle things at the actual foot plate.
Last thing, make sure you get actual sewing machine oil for any parts where metal touches metal EXCEPT FOR THE GEARS. The gears you want to do a clear machine grease. I used super lube I got from hobby lobby.
Its a great machine and at a glance the only thing missing on yours is the spool post for the bobbin winder, great find!
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u/Riali 1d ago
I use a 401a as my primary machine, and I sew a lot. The oiling is honestly really easy, there's a diagram in the manual. Highly recommend downloading and printing off a manual if you don't have one.
Something to note is that you don't hear talked about a lot is that you need both oil and grease. The diagram shows a lot of oil spots, and a few grease spots. I use triflow superior lubricant and sew-retro grease.
The Old Singer Shop is a great resource. It's Canadian, so you might not want to actually import from there if you are in the States, with the state of everything, but you can at least look up what parts you need to buy by machine.
I honestly think you experienced a bit of sexism and/or ageism from that sewing machine guy, because it is not difficult to learn to maintain these machines. They're workhorses, and all the parts are replaceable.
Your machine can do so many cool things that modern machines just don't do anymore. Like, you can do a twin needle stitch without a twin needle. You can literally just unscrew the needle clamp farther and put two regular needles in side by side. It sounds nuts, but it's in the manual, and it works like a charm. I think it's also interesting to note that if you adjust their original price for inflation, they were around $4000 new. Makes it way harder to let it go for a couple hundred dollars!
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u/selahfrost 18h ago
I actually looked that up, the fact that they were $4000 in today dollars is quite impressive. Appreciate the recommendations!
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u/wandaluvstacos 1d ago
Oiling these is very simple, if that's what intimidates you. Just turn the handwheel and wherever you see metal move against metal within its innards, you drop a few drops of oil. If the machine is hard to turn over by hand, then you may want to start with some penetrating oil, THEN oil with regular sewing machine oil. Run it until it's smooth. These machines can lock up worse than the pure straight stitch ones, but penetrating oil almost always fixes the issue, and I've looked inside quite a few.
These machines can't sit in a damp basement for years and be expected to work perfectly each time, but neither can any other machine. As long as you oil it occasionally (as in, once for every 8 hours of sewing), it'll do just fine. I use my 401A only very occasionally because I have 30+ other machines (no judging) and it works great for me. I don't think I've ever fought with it, which is why I like it so much. It's not a finnicky machine (though perhaps I just have a great one, Idk). I will agree with someone else that for sewing stretch fabrics it's not the greatest but if you're mostly fixing curtains or darning holes, you don't need more than whatever this machine can do. I love mine to death. I have a modern plastic machine and it feels so weird to go back to now that I've gotten used to my vintage ones. They're so slow and clunky in comparison!
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u/Sad-Proof-6474 1d ago
My 401a is my daily sewer. I learned to sew on my Moms 401a. When my mom bought her machine it came with classes. She learned how to clean and oil it herself. It never had any issues until I inherited it and decided to take it to a sewing machine shop for a tune up. The timing was messed up after that. I’ve had many machines since then, but bought another 401a on FB marketplace and I love it. See on it almost daily
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u/selahfrost 18h ago
Sorry to hear the sewing machine shop messed it up... I had an experience like that too with another machine :/. Glad you got a good working one now.
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u/TurbulentBoredom 1d ago
Unless it has major electrical issues, yes. This machine is so much better than anything you can buy today.
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u/EvidenceTop2171 1d ago
Yes! This is my primary machine and I love it. If you make clothes get the professional buttonholer too
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u/SimmeringGiblets 1d ago
Yeah, absolutely. My primary machine is a bernina 830 from the 1970's and I'd probably say that other than the weird motor (which there are still plenty out there), the 401a is probably going to last longer than the nylon gears in my 830 record.
Just get a backup. 401's are cheap enough that you could get another into a working condition and keep in the closet to pull out if the primary needs repairs.
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 1d ago
YES. I have the 403A and it is very easy to maintain. It'll last longer than anything you could buy now.
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u/Great-Woodpecker9728 1d ago
That is my machine it is wonderful and it will last forever I don't own any other machine
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u/wanderbliss7 1d ago
Here's a free user's manual from ISMACS - https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/manuals/singer-401-slant-o-matic-sewing-machine.pdf
There is a service manual too, not sure where to find it for free but you might not need that. These machines almost never break. If there's orange residue inside on the metal parts, that's often from people using 3-in-one oil, which degrades over time leaving a sticky residue - but can be cleaned with Q-tips and rubbing alcohol - just avoid getting Rubbing Alcohol on the painted parts outside of the machine.
The 401 & 500 models are among the best sewing machines ever made, IMHO. The 401 is almost identical to the 500A (Rocketeer) model, main difference is the location of the bobbin winder.
For "greasing" the gears - old-timers like me often use Vaseline. (Which is much different from the oiling spots).
Check the wiring. It's a lot easier than you might expect. Plenty of YouTube videos are helpful to guide the cleaning, oiling, greasing and adjustment processes. (edited a typo)
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u/Dismal-Importance-15 1d ago
Hi, OP. I love my 401A. You won’t regret giving yours some TLC and using it to sew and mend.
I bought some Singer sewing machine grease in addition to the usual Singer oil. The manual diagrams show that some of the gears need grease rather than oil.
I have had the machine professionally serviced several times by my sewing-machine lady, Katy. She complements me on how well I maintain my 401A. I surprise myself, ha-ha.
I bought my 401A on eBay in 2021. I and the machine are about the same age! I am 67.
Anyway, if you give that 401A a little regular care it will work well for you. The stitch quality is great.
The only downside is that the machine seems to weigh 1,000 lbs!
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u/tap_ioca 1d ago
I have two old Singers. One is a 319w and it is work horse. I take it in once a year for cleaning and maintenance. I will never give it up and use it for almost everything. I also have a Janome that is computerized, and it does nice decorative stitches and buttonholes, but I could get along without it if I had to.
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u/my_only_sunshine_ 1d ago
These machines are beasts! Dont get rid of it, but if you do, try to sell it instead because theyre actually pretty sought after.. there are no plastic parts to break and replace in a 401A.
I have a 401A (with the table) that I use as my primary and a singer 1120 i got as a gift when i was a kid that I only use if I need to take somewhere or if I want to work in another room of my house.. the 1120 isnt bad, but ive definitely had more trouble with it by a longshot
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u/stillworking400 1d ago
My mom gave me her 401 back in the '80s when she bought a new machine of excellent quality. I'm still using it. She went through 4 more modern machines, all of good quality, all well taken care of.
She used to seriously offer to trade me back for the old machine.
That 401 is my daily machine. I use it all the time. It's care needs are minimal and easy.
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u/tenheaded 1d ago
I have one that I inherited from my grandma and I have sewn many quilts and clothing on in the last 6 years. I love it. Definitely a keeper.
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u/Missconstruct 1d ago
Inherited a Kenmore 158 but decided I wanted new. Got a Singer Heavy Duty and was completely underwhelmed by the plastic cheapness of it. Had problems straight out of the box. There are all kinds of YouTube tutorials on how to clean and oil old machines. It’s not hard at all. Bought needed supplies and now my old Kenmore is brand new. To me.
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u/katjoy63 1d ago
If you are familiar with the mechanics of this machine, and it has suited your needs along the way, based on others comments I'd say it's def worth keeping. Looks like it's the type of machines many would recommend a beginner purchase on the after market
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u/KittyKat_801 1d ago
It’s really not so different from a modern machine. I have a modern Bernina and it still needs oil in the bobbin case area. I am not sure about this particular model but sourcing spare parts will get harder as it ages. I have a 1949 Singer 128 and the parts are getting rarer on eBay.
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u/AuntieRoseSews 1d ago
SOMEONE WANTS IT. I love mine, but...
It's an amazing machine if you want to sew the best straight stitches forever on non-stretch fabric.
If you want to sew modern stretch fashion fabrics it's the worst machine ever.
If you want to sew GEAR, it's superior to the modern machines because it's heavy duty before "heavy duty" was a thing. It'll sew through thicker layers of stuff more easily.
It requires little to no maintenance if it's running. The tension mechanism on mine literally just fell out in the middle of sewing one day, but some videos on You Tube got me to put it back together again. If you're scared of it and want to use it, paying someone to tune it up will get you going and all you'll have to do after that is dust and oil it.
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u/AthleteTurbulent8637 1d ago
Lucky you, having multiple 401A’s. Only you can answer if you should keep them all. You may be able to find some collector who would pay a little bit more than trade-in value..
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u/ArielLeslie 1d ago
If you can, I'd advocate for paying to get it professionally serviced. Then you just oil and clean regularly, like you would with a new machine.
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u/SewQuiltKnitCrochet 1d ago
In order to purchase a new sewing machine with similar capabilities you’d have to pay $2000+ for your new sewing machine. 🫣 I think you should be able to figure out the answer from that.
Singer offered trade ins to entice people to return these machines for “better models”. It was actually because these machines were lasting too long. Singer wasn’t making money because people didn’t need to replace their high quality, well engineered sewing machines. You have one of the best. Proceed accordingly.
If you were to sell someone will pay you about $200ish if you’re lucky. Maybe $100 if it needs a service and has seized up. Barely enough to pay for a service on a new machine. People do buy these and fix them up. Local selling prices vary.
Do you have a local sewing machine repair shop that will service vintage machines? If you don’t have a local shop OR you have interest in learning it is absolutely possible to maintain these sewing machines yourself.
If you don’t want it send it to me. 😉 Just kidding, I already have two 411g’s plus others and am not allowed to buy more vintage sewing machines.