Early (1956-57?) Viking Husqvarna Automatic Model 21 sewing machine overview

[@debmilton7605]

Thanks for sharing this video. It is the only one I’ve found showing the early speed reducer. My machine came to me without a manual or accessories , so I didn’t know how that worked.

[@sewingmachinesindetail]

Thank you for showing this video. I got a comment about the electric motors. Back then almost every country got their own regulations to electrical safety, because they got less international standard regulation. More fires and electrical shock was caused by electrical motors, because it was new to use in homes, and people did not know much about how to use electrical things the right way. Therefore it became a nightmare for international based manufacturers to use their electrical motor design and get it approved in different countries. Today you can go to more labs locally and get a UL approval for US, and in US you can go to a local lab and get an approval for all of EU. To solve this problem back then, many local producers of the motors were used for the imported sewing machines, that got the local approval. I know one manufacturer in Denmark (do not exsist anymore), and I have seen a lot of the vintage sewing machines sold in Denmark got this Danish motor.

[@sewingmachinesindetail]

@Aai Aai Hi again. I guess you live in a country near Denmark then. I live in Denmark, and I got one of these Sytrix-motors, a BF40. When I got it, it did not have its original power, but I was able to repair it. The motor I got do also have a quite high shaft torque - I did measure its characteristics. I am not sure I can make a link here, but this a link to two XY charts with a comparison to other sewing motors: drive.google.com/uc?id=12LB6fqjCo_ern3JxPysV5zupUSAnCsi3

[@zrebbesh]

Husqvarna sourced 110v motors from the USA - Swedish electrical standards aren't compatible. FWIW, the motors they got are "universal" motors and run equally well on DC power. The motors were shipped to Sweden where the sewing machines were assembled and shipped back to the US. The same model of machine built to sell elsewhere would be assembled with a different motor - for most of Europe it was 220v motors produced in Sweden. Incidentally the two manuals you showed there are rare. Most class-21s sold in the US were sold after 1956, and after 1956 they were packaged with a later manual that was pitched at homemakers (up until then they'd been pitched mainly at professional shops). That new manual was packaged with the remaining stock of class-21 machines, but it was made for models 21, 21A and 21E. The model 21 was a later version of the class 21 machine you have, and differed mainly in how the speed-reducer transmission was turned on and off. Models 21A and 21E also differed from the class 21 and model 21 in the stitch length control being a knob instead of a lever. This meant about half of the class-21 machines sold in the US were sold with a manual that did not explain how to use their speed-reducer correctly. The Husqvarna class-19 is the predecessor - largely identical to the class-21 but it has no stitch cams. It does straightstitch and zigzag and that's it. Pitching them at homemakers was an odd choice. All of these machines retailed in the US during their production run for about $300, and given the cost of manufacture really couldn't have been sold much cheaper. That's about $3000 in 2022 dollars. So they were all priced firmly in the professional/industrial bracket, but a good number of homemakers did wind up buying them as "upscale" alternatives to the vintage sewing machines available new at the time.

[@naukumaija7056]

I have this with the lever, but a slightly different logo at the top :) The on-off switch at the back for me is black, up and down, not a push button. Could also be a difference in american/european markets? I feel like that might be case with the logo, too, mine says nothing about "Viking". The plaque on mine says "Made in Sweden"

[@asmasiddiqua6188]

Show the features of your machine and cost your thing is beautiful

[@debmilton7605]

Bob, would you be interested in sharing a copy of the two manuals that came with this machine? I recently got this exact model and have not found a copy/pdf. It would be most helpful. Thanks again for sharing the video. It was a big help in understanding the speed reducer.

[@bobwestinicky8447]

Don't have any copies to share. They are all online. Either Google them in PDF or join a H/V 21 group on Facebook. They should have them under their "Files" folder.

[@debmilton7605]

@@bobwestinicky8447 Thanks for the reply. I have belonged to a Viking 21 specific group and they don’t have the old type manuals. I even joined a Groups io specific to HV. Still no luck. I’ll keep looking. 😊

[@leeviheinonen9287]

I have type CI 21 and prefix letter is ”K”, do you know the year?

[@shirleyrank8383]

where can I get a copy of the manuals for type 21 machines?

[@bobwestinicky8447]

There are several HV 21 groups on Facebook. They have PDF format manuals available to members.

[@johan8090]

This is absolutely 21 1954-1956 1956-1958 21A has the push pull gear 1958-1960 1960-1964 21E.

[@CowCountryVintageSewingRepair]

If you give me the letter prefix of your serial number, I can let you know the production year for your machine.

[@erikahill7647]

Which prefix number shows a machine produced in 1962?

[@CowCountryVintageSewingRepair]

@@erikahill7647 - Letter prefix is "R" for 1962.

[@debmilton7605]

@@CowCountryVintageSewingRepairWhat year would prefix G (G21771 P) been made?

[@CowCountryVintageSewingRepair]

@@debmilton7605 - Based on the partial serial number you supplied, with a G letter prefix, you would be looking at a Class 66 machine coming from a production group size of 30,000, and a birthday of January 8, 1910.

[@debmilton7605]

@@CowCountryVintageSewingRepair I was commenting on the Husqvarna Viking 21 video, in regards to the year code on it. I have since found that a G at the beginning of a Type 21 serial # dates it to 1955.

[@dustinrevel6621]

This one goes to 11