Which Singer 201

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pcatterall

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We need to do some canvas repairs ( Non UV resistant thread used) on Coral Wind various hatch covers and make a new simple cockpit cover.
We may do it here in UK or possibly take a machine out with us.
I understand that a Singer 201 may do the trick for us? In the past we have used our domestic modern 'jobby' but the boss is not keen on using it.
We did buy a Singer (??? forgotten number) 'semi industrial' which we got to work but couldn't get correct needles for it.
There seem to be so many Singer 201s made dating back decades are all of them suitable or would any of them be ok?
I see a variety of drives from treadle to hand crank to bolt on motors, speed will not be of the essence so I suppose even a hand cranked machine would do?
Advise appreciated,
 
pcatterall said:
We need to do some canvas repairs ( Non UV resistant thread used) on Coral Wind various hatch covers and make a new simple cockpit cover.
We may do it here in UK or possibly take a machine out with us.
I understand that a Singer 201 may do the trick for us? In the past we have used our domestic modern 'jobby' but the boss is not keen on using it.
We did buy a Singer (??? forgotten number) 'semi industrial' which we got to work but couldn't get correct needles for it.
There seem to be so many Singer 201s made dating back decades are all of them suitable or would any of them be ok?
I see a variety of drives from treadle to hand crank to bolt on motors, speed will not be of the essence so I suppose even a hand cranked machine would do?
Advise appreciated,
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The 201 has a K at the end, 201k, when they are built in the UK.
We have two 201k's. The oldest was a 1940s model. The modern one was built in 1953. They are truly robust. Ours are both electric drive. The oldest one has a new motor. The newer one has the original motor but it is less powerful than the new motor. We will be taking the 1953 201k away with us next summer as it aluminium and as such, it is a little lighter
 
A 201 should do it. Alternatively a Singer 15 or one of the excellent Japanese clones. The 15 is actually a stronger machine than the 201 and was the basis for many, many machines (including the Sailrite).
 
Puffin10032 said:
A 201 should do it. Alternatively a Singer 15 or one of the excellent Japanese clones. The 15 is actually a stronger machine than the 201 and was the basis for many, many machines (including the Sailrite).
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You can pick up a Singer 201k for little money. I paid £25 for one of mine and it's in good working order. It will stitch 5 layers of 10oz sailcloth. We know this as a few years ago, we had to repair the genoa clew as the pressed s/s ring was pulling out after 25,000nm. We stitched some webbing through the reinforced layers of the sail through the ring. We broke a few needles in the process but it did the repair and we then sailed across the Atlantic
 
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The 201K came in 2 versions. The earlier ones have a rounded steel body and the later models were made in aluminium.(More square shape). I think the gears on both are steel,which is important for sewing heavier fabrics.
 
geem said:
You can pick up a Singer 201k for little money. I paid £25 for one of mine and it's in good working order. It will stitch 5 layers of 10oz sailcloth. We know this as a few years ago, we had to repair the genoa clew as the pressed s/s ring was pulling out after 25,000nm. We switched some webbing through the reinforced layers of the sail through the ring. We broke a few needles in the process but it did the repair and we then sailed across the Atlantic
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15s, be it Singer or one of the excellent clones, aren't expensive either so I'm not sure what your point is?
 
Puffin10032 said:
15s, be it Singer or one of the excellent clones, aren't expensive either so I'm not sure what your point is?
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The 201k was made in great numbers. It's super robust. Don't rule it out as an excellent machine. Those that are fanatical about them belief no better machine has ever been made. Not my view as I am no fanatic but for the last 10 years we have had one on our boat that has made suncovers, stack pack for both masts, twice, winch covers, liferaft cover, all the upholstery down below, repairs to the sprayhood, fuel can covers, etc. It does the job admirably
 
The Singer you couldn't get needles - was it a 320k/319k or 306k which originally used 206x13 needles but can use DBx1 industrial needles which work, correct length, shank slightly smaller and no flat on the shank, so groove needle must face you. I've got the 320k which is the freearm version. Does most of the canvas work on my boat. I also have a Singer 20u which is the industrial version which sews through almost anything but fast - even though I've slowed it down.
 
PetiteFleur said:
The Singer you couldn't get needles - was it a 320k/319k or 306k which originally used 206x13 needles but can use DBx1 industrial needles which work, correct length, shank slightly smaller and no flat on the shank, so groove needle must face you. I've got the 320k which is the freearm version. Does most of the canvas work on my boat. I also have a Singer 20u which is the industrial version which sews through almost anything but fast - even though I've slowed it down.
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I've got a cheap Chinese clone of 20U which I haven't used in anger for a long time as I don't have room to have the table permanently set up. I've got a 120 watt YDK motor mounted on it now and at some point I'm going to make a domestic-style base for it. I still need to work out how I'm going to wind bobbins. The proper Singer 20U33 has a bobbing winder built in. Mine doesn't.
 
Another excellent Singer machine is the 401G 'Slantomatic'.

I carried out many repairs and major alterations to my sprayhood, tonneau, and overall winter cover using this machine.

It does straight and zig-zag stitches.
 
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I remember reading somewhere that back in the day a Singer 201 cost the equivalent of half the average person’s annual salary. Quite an investment.
 
I've got a singer 306k. Was my grandmother's so possibly from the 1950's. Now out of my dinning table getting ready to replace some stitching on my mainsail cover.
Quite a powerful machine, but it seems like the 201 may be even better for sails and thick layers of material.
 
Boathook said:
I've got a singer 306k. Was my grandmother's so possibly from the 1950's. Now out of my dinning table getting ready to replace some stitching on my mainsail cover.
Quite a powerful machine, but it seems like the 201 may be even better for sails and thick layers of material.
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The 201, being straight stitch only, is probably stronger. Of course if you need to use a zig-zag stitch the 201 suddenly becomes like a chocolate teapot so it's a bit horses-for-courses. The main drawback of the 306 family is that they don't use "universal" needles. They were produced from 1954 to 1962. Very retro looking.
 
Puffin10032 said:
The 201, being straight stitch only, is probably stronger. Of course if you need to use a zig-zag stitch the 201 suddenly becomes like a chocolate teapot so it's a bit horses-for-courses. The main drawback of the 306 family is that they don't use "universal" needles. They were produced from 1954 to 1962. Very retro looking.
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We also carry a modern domestic sewing machine for zig zag. We have re stitched the spinnaker mid Atlantic on the domestic machine. We also use the zig zag for repairing kites and wings. All light fabric and easily done. The 201k is the workhorse though and is used often to make stuff onboard as a liveaboard.
 
geem said:
We also carry a modern domestic sewing machine for zig zag. We have re stitched the spinnaker mid Atlantic on the domestic machine. We also use the zig zag for repairing kites and wings. All light fabric and easily done. The 201k is the workhorse though and is used often to make stuff onboard as a liveaboard.
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Err.. the 201 is a domestic machine so really you're carrying two of them ;)
 
Puffin10032 said:
Err.. the 201 is a domestic machine so really you're carrying two of them ;)
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No. They were described as semi industrial. They were used by Rolls Royce to sew the leather seats in their factory. It's way more powerful in every way than a domestic machine
 
Puffin10032 said:
The 201, being straight stitch only, is probably stronger. Of course if you need to use a zig-zag stitch the 201 suddenly becomes like a chocolate teapot so it's a bit horses-for-courses. The main drawback of the 306 family is that they don't use "universal" needles. They were produced from 1954 to 1962. Very retro looking.
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Interesting about the needles. I use "standard" everyday needles in it with no problem that I'm aware of. Just purchased some schmetz jeans needles with a flat on the shank that look the same as all the other needles that I have used over the years.

I wonder whether the machine was altered years ago for the universal needles ?
 
geem said:
No. They were described as semi industrial. They were used by Rolls Royce to sew the leather seats in their factory. It's way more powerful in every way than a domestic machine
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Yawn. Sorry but you have been CONNED. There is not and never has been such a thing as a "semi-industrial" sewing machine - it's just an internet scam. Singer only ever sold the 201 as a domestic machine. That it will beat the crap out of any modern piece of plastic junk is irrelevant - any of the old machines will do that. If anything deserves the moniker of "semi-industrial" it's probably something something like the 20U which was designed for light, high speed work in industries such as the garment industry. Compared to the sorts of machines you'll find in most sail lofts it's a toy. I'm well aware of RR using the 201 back in the day. They chose the 201 because it produced neater stitching than anything else available at the time (remember that the 201 started in production in the mid 1930s). The thin, soft leather used on car seats is easy to sew on just about any machine; even a modern piece of plastic junk could sew it. We're not talking saddlery here.
 
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