I had a lady contact me about a few machines she wanted to sell.
I wasn’t interested in all of them, but 2 piqued my interest, the Singer 185J, because I knew someone who wanted it, and the Pfaff 362, because I thought it would be interesting to play with. She told me that all the machines she had worked and were in good condition, and if I’d like, she was traveling into town and could drop them off on her way by.  She lives about 45 minutes away from us in a direction I haven’t traveled in  years.  Because she was dropping them off, I felt like I shouldn’t refuse regardless of shape, so I didn’t inspect them too carefully.

The 185 was dirty and needed service.  No real surprise.  I did a quick tension tweak and added a new bobbin tire and sent it off to the guy who wanted it.

The Pfaff.

No way this machine has worked right in years!

• After oiling, it’s got a “lumpy” spot when you turn the wheel (hard turning spot, feels like it’s “eccentric” – turns hard then suddenly loosens up – twice per handwheel revolution, or once per hook revolution),
• the Stopmatic switch cover is smashed – and the pedal has been changed for a regular old motor / light cord, so I suspect it won’t properly work again unless I can find the original pedal for it.
• the needle threader is gone,
• the thread guard was rusted onto the hook.
• the motor belt was loose enough to rub on the Stopmatic switch box and it’s starting to shred.  It also may be slightly dry rotted.
• I’m pretty sure this tensioner hasn’t worked in some time.  This is what I found under the dial after it came off in my fingers from being assembled incorrectly:

A blurry close up of the spring (note, the loop is supposed to curve the other way based on the replacement spring I saw online, and the service manual and “pretzel” isn’t a proper tension spring shape):

For some reason, that tensioner took me hours to get working correctly, after I (as proof of concept only, I will order the spring) bent the spring back into submission.

At least, the two plastic gears were intact. 🙂

So, thanks to the problems I found on this machine, I’m adding the following to my list of things to check when I buy a machine:

• Is the upper tensioner working /assembled correctly
• (If Applicable) Is the needle threader there / bent / damaged, etc
• Does it have the original pedal – doesn’t matter with most of the vintage machines, but apparently this one does, and others will too I’m sure.
• If it’s “lumpy” turning, what’s the pattern – every half turn, every turn, etc.
• Do model specific features work? (Stopmatic, etc)

Up until yesterday, my list had things like:

• How do the wires look?
• Does the light turn on?
• Wiggle the power cord, does the light flicker?  (Assumes the wiring looked safe enough to do that)
• Basic timing check – stitches both straight and zigzag stitches (I check the timing first, because I don’t like smashing needles in front of people but it’s usually not necessary to do that – I’ve only had 3 that I’ve saved a needle or bobbin case that way.)
• Does it look like the machine has been dropped?
• Pedal works
• All plates are present
• All dials move freely
• Belts?
• How does it sound? Does it labour on startup? While running?  Does it sound “loud”?
• Does it run on its own?
• Rust?  And where is it?  Some surface rust is OK because a lot can be “removed”, but there’s a lot that’s not.  If the machine will be decorative, in some cases, no big deal but if it’s to be used, it’s important.
• Condition of the sewing surface
• General Cosmetic shape – decals, etc
• General look of the machine – the appearance can tell you a lot about how the machine was maintained.

None of these alone rules a machine out.  It just let’s me know what I may be dealing with, and lets me decide if I want the machine badly enough, or gives me a bargaining position.

What does your normal “inspection” list include?