• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Rebuilding a Singer 201

Jeremy_D

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2020
Messages
359
Location
Wisconsin
Just learning about this all and I found what I believe to be a 201 in the basement of my work. Its actually been there for years I just now looked into it. I plugged it in, it works but seems weak. How far should I take the rebuild process? Where is the best place for parts? What grease should I get?
 
There are plenty of you tube videos on servicing the 201. I would start there.
 
I also seen a video of a guy who upgraded his motor but it was a belt drive machine. I'm not a purist so if that option is available that would be even better.
 
Here's a link to my saved stuff in a Google drive folder. You should be able to open and make copies of anything in there. There's a 201-2 (potted motor) owners and adjusters manual and a doc with some helpful webpage urls. One of the urls is for a page that helps ID the machine from the serial number.

Let me know if this doesn't work.

 
To answer some of your questions. From my reading, everyone seems to recommend only Singer oil on the older machines. A good cleaning and lube may make a big difference on how the machine is acting.

Sew classic (https://shop.sew-classic.com/) seems to be a decent source of parts.
 
Got it home. If I disengage the clutch she runs but when I engage it it seems real stiff. I have to work it to get it going. I will check out all the literature...thanks!
 
Don't run it with the motor until you oil it. The motor might be damaged. Get Singer or Dritz sewing machine oil. Oil every moving part and move the parts. Do it again the next day and it should feel 100% better. Any good automotive grease on the gears will work.
 
Something happened with the bobin case that was creating a hang up. I fixed that. The motor wiring actually looks desent. Im going to order some parts do a major clean up and see how it goes.
 
Something happened with the bobin case that was creating a hang up. I fixed that. The motor wiring actually looks desent. Im going to order some parts do a major clean up and see how it goes.
I have been thinking of buying a Singer 201. It is described as the best machine Singer ever built. It should be all you need to sew saddles.
 
Here's a link to my saved stuff in a Google drive folder. You should be able to open and make copies of anything in there. There's a 201-2 (potted motor) owners and adjusters manual and a doc with some helpful webpage urls. One of the urls is for a page that helps ID the machine from the serial number.

Let me know if this doesn't work.

Looks like I have a 1938 model...Thank you printing now.
 
I have a line on a 15-91 that has been gone over. Waiting for a call back. Have been talking with the gal off and on for the last week. She fixes and resells them as a hobby.
 
SHE RUNS!! I went from only knowing what a sewing machine does to knkwing this machine in and out. Someone had the bobbin case in wrong and was causing a hangup. Fixed that but it wouldnt pick up thread. Watched a video and guy says these things never get out of time...they cant he says. So I spend hours tryimg to figure out what Im doing wrong. It was way out of time. Fixed that and it works great.
Anybody with just a little experience would have had it going in no time but between a light clean up fresh oil and grease a few bug fixes and getting it timed I spent all day on it. But hey it works and now I know that thing inside out
 
If it has the internal or potted motor you'll want to get new grease wicks and install those with some vaseline. also check the wiring inside of the motor since you will already have that removed. Clean all the crud out ouf the motor also. I used a 201 I rebuilt to make knaiders and swaiders until I upgraded to the juki. Good machine, not for mass production but awesome for making your own stuff. Btw the one I found for $40 was covered in grease and grime, cleaned it up and the paint was perfect. Turned out to be a bicentennial so I tracked down the original cabinent it was supposed to be in and sold it for an amount I am ashamed to admit to a collector lol
 
Back
Top