I recently was given this Singer 401a and I just can’t seem to get it to work. I know absolutely nothing about sewing machines but I’d like to start using it. I opened it up and nothing appears to be damaged. I oiled some of the gears that seemed like they needed it but I’ve had no luck. The big spindle on the right and the gears it connects to run just fine but nothing else moves at all. I’ve tried every switch and lever I could find but nothing seems to work.
I’m hoping there’s something simple I’m missing simply because I don’t know what I’m doing lol
If this is the wrong place for this kind of post please feel free to let me know i just thought I would ask here first before I resort to paying someone to look at it
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Have you tried calling Dale? 😉
I don’t know about this machine, or anything mechanical really, but sometimes a bobbin getting jammed can hold things up. Try taking it out (slide the metal plate forward) and making sure there’s not knotted old thread under there.
Edit to add: some machines have a bobbin-winding setting where it doesn’t move the needle, just spins thread onto a bobbin on the spindle. You “switch gears” into/out of that mode on my machine by pulling out or pushing in the big wheel on the right.
Editing again: looks like the owner’s manual is available online. Would be useful in any case.
Out of curiosity I looked up Dale’s and they are still around and still doing sewing machine repair despite that sticker being at least 40 years old lol but that’s about a 4 hour round trip from where I live currently. The big wheel doesn’t seem to move but I will check the owners manual and see what I can find out!
Grandma had one of these bad bois. Im not sure but these are very mechanical and if youre not getting movement the simplest explanation is the cord or motor. If your getting noise and its sounds stressed then you might have something bound up and then its a different decision tree.
https://sewingiscool.com/singer-sewing-machine-401a-troubleshooting/#tab-con-3
I bought a new cord and pedal for it and the motor spins fine but it’s not engaging with the rest of the machine. I think it might be the bobbin setting someone mentioned in another comment. I did check for any bound up thread but didn’t find anything
If it’s the bobbin winding mechanism, the wheel will spin but the needle won’t move. In that case, tighten the centre of the wheel. Here’s a quick & dirty run through: https://youtu.be/DFwollQFufI
The 401 is an excellent machine and very much worth repairing.
Did you end up figuring it out?
I know others have joked about dales. But honestly, I would call them, they might be willing to talk you through some troubleshooting on the phone.
Small businesses are run by people, and depending on specifics, people generally want to help people.
I’ve called a repair shop in my old hometown before, long after I moved away, and I just told them hey, you helped me out before when I needed some parts, and you guys were really informative. I don’t live there anymore. I’ve got a washer that’s got an issue, I think I know what it is, but I just wanted a second opinion, and I trust you guys. Could you tell me if I’m on the right track?
I was clear and upfront with them about what I wanted. I proved that I had researched it myself, put in effort, so I wasn’t just begging for a free fix or something. The guy was happy to talk to me for a minute or two. Told me the issue I was having was common, and the washer wasn’t worth fixing, because you can’t get that specific part new, and used parts are all the same age and will fail quickly.
And that’s what I needed to know, from someone in the business who knows these things, and I got a different washer.
That one turned out to also be broken but that’s another story. Easy fix, fun troubleshooting.
