SINGER - Touch & Sew - Buyer's Guide!

[@Logic_Fox]

I just bought a model 750 Golden Singer Touch and Sew from a thrift store for nine dollars. I will probably rebuild it. I've taken some Touch and Sew machines completely apart, swapped parts, and so on. I just like all the features they have. I rebuilt many things, including sewing machines. It's a hobby of mine.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

That's great. It is hard to beat 9 dollars for a good machine :) Hopefully it doesn't need to much work. We just finished a donation quilt project that was sewn completely on our Touch and Sew. They are indeed a fun machine to use. Thanks for watching and good luck with your project.

[@Logic_Fox]

​@NeverTooMany2023 that's really nice that you all did that. I'll admit I can fix them but not that good at sewing.

[@WallaceRoseVincent]

Can you replace the plastic gears with metal? Is there an upgade to the plastic gears somewhere?

[@Logic_Fox]

@WallaceRoseVincent my local sewing repair shop, told me no, there were no metal gears to replace the nylon ones, but I've never tried to swap gears from other Singer sewing machines to replace nylon gears with metal ones either. But if u research it online, you might find some information about being able to use gears from older Singer sewing machines for a Touch and Sew. I heard there are older Touch and Sew machines that actually used all metal gears, I guess when they first came out with the Touch and Sew models, but I never owned one. If I ever come across one, though, I will buy it.

[@marcystark490]

Thank you for the information. I was given the model 628 with all the attachments and cams. I am cleaning it up and doing some practice stitching and passing to my daughter who asked for a machine. I wasn't even sure I wanted it from the terrible stories I heard online. Glad I did more research and found your channel.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

That's great! I am sure your daughter will love it :) Ya, that is why I made this video. I was under the impression for a long time that all touch n sew machines were trash until I owned and worked on a few. Imagine how many awesome metal gear (early) units were disposed of for their namesake. Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@cynthiadugan858]

It’s always worth opening them up and checking out the gears inside. I’ve found all metal gears in models up to 645. I believe that there were several years when machines sold to schools for home ec classes had metal gears and the machines sold to the public had plastic.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

That is very interesting. Also checks out with a lot of comments we have received about folks using them in their home ec classes back in the 60s and 70s. Thanks for the input and thank you for watching!

[@moeytoo]

Yes! Thank you so much for talking about the tension.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

You are very welcome. Happy to have helped, if at all :) Thank you for watching!

[@christineguo2001]

LOVE this video and the comparison! I have three 600s. One is frozen and two work. Still working on the frozen one. But it will work eventually. That is what I really love about the old mechanical metal gears.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Thank you so much! Ya, the 600's were the end of a great era for Singer machines. Good luck with your frozen machine. I am sure you will have it up and running in no time :) Thank you for watching!

[@robotbuster1487]

I buy 750s for cheap at the second hand shops. They're usually in a basement-musty cabinet. The cabinet drawers are usually stuffed with other items, like stitch cams, slant-particular attachments/presser feet,scissors, etc. I pull parts and the motors out of them for other slant needle bar Singer projects. Like the host said, 750's were a disposable machine design. I burn the cabinets in my backyard barrel. GOOD VIDEO for the uninitiated. Good Video.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Thank you so much! That is a great idea. There are plenty of great parts on the 750s that will work elsewhere, including other 750s :) Ya, there is nothing better than getting an old machine in a cabinet that is full of doo-dads. Thanks for the input and thanks for watching!

[@mrs.rabbit621]

I love!! My Singer Touch & Sew!!

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Ditto!! I just love the wind-in-place bobbin feature. It is the easiest bobbin winder that I have used :) So many people love their Touch & Sew machines. I just love them all. Thanks for watching!

[@sewterie]

Thanks. My mom had the older one. I collect vintage machines as well. Been repainting old featherweights lately. The love for these machines is addictive. I see you are in the same club.. lol. Thanks for sharing. Have an awesome day.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Thank you so much! Ya, we are all in the same club :) That is great that you collect as well. I am pretty sure I have seen your videos here on youtube. Still haven't gotten our first Featherweight, but it will happen :) Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching!

[@sewterie]

@@NeverTooMany2023 I said I would never join the featherweight "cult." LOL. I find they are easier for me to handle. easier than the heavy machines. Again, love your channel. It is going great and I like the direction. Keep then coming. Happy hunting!!!!

[@lizhiddema895]

I saw a post in market place today and thought of you amazing collection.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Lol. Thank you so much. Ya, I saw a facebook ad for a 603e in a cabinet in our local area today as well. They are definitely out there for the grabbing :) Thanks for watching!

[@jdhtyler]

Press sideways on the needle bar on the 750 when changing the upper plastic wheels for stitch and width, it does make it easier since your not fighting the needle bar return spring.. My 631 had a flush button on the needle bar cover to make changes to the setting easy. In the UK I have two 760G machines one has an internal worm drive for the motor the other is an internal belt drive. I have had to make a few interesting fixes for plastic parts splitting on the under bed bobbin winder cam and the stitch selector plastic part on a splined shaft. My 760g machines are different under the top cover, I was surprised I guess made in Germany would be the reason The interesting thing about my three machines they can be converted to do Chain Stitch. All the best

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Great tip. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching!

[@bonniepotts5225]

That's Grandma's machine!!❤

[@NeverTooMany2023]

It sure is! Thank you so much for handing it down to us. We are honored to have Grandma's machine. We got her all serviced up and just finished sewing her first donation quilt :)

[@nicmert]

I thought I recognized you and your voice from your other channel. It took me quite a while to figure it out! You put out some good content! I'm not into your other hobby, but since it is mechanical I do enjoy watching. I've loved mechanical things forever I guess. I used to run the old german printing presses, those were a lot of fun! Everything moving this way and that, an engineering marvel. Cheers!

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Thank you so much for the positive feedback! Ya, mechanical engineering in any form is highly interesting. Sewing machines are marvels for sure. Imagine being the first person to figure out all the engineering for a modern sewing machine. German printing presses sound like a lot of fun. I bet you enjoyed that time. Thanks for the input and thank you for watching!

[@normatulloch376]

Very interesting.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Thank you. Thanks for watching

[@2tana22]

Very helpful info, just pickup a beautiful sewing cabinet with the 750 in it.. looks like ill be putting a better machine in the cabinet

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Lol. That is great. Luckily, it seems like most Singer machines are a universal fit for the cabinet mounts. Good luck and thank you for watching!

[@jeanettewithrow9641]

Thanks for the information.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

You are very welcome :) Hope it helps, if at all. Thanks for watching!

[@kennethepps3425]

Yes, several technicians refer to them as a "Touch & Throw"

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Lol. Sounds about right :) Thanks for watching!

[@lindamorgan2678]

Yes and the people in the forums PARROT that garbage and have no idea. Like he said the earlier ones are GREAT and have a chain stitch also and all metal gears and direct drive. Can you ask for anything more :-)

[@annamaxflair]

can't beat the old machines

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Facts!! Thanks for watching!

[@ecay]

I have one of these 603e, I have yet to fix it up, but I did look inside to make sure it had all metal gears because I was told that somewhere in the production of the 603 they switched to a plastic gear. It's changeable but at some point they supposedly switched late in the production. I'm not 100% on that. That was just something that I was told

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Lol. That is great. Once you get yours fixed up I am sure you will love it :)

[@1953childstar]

Singer switched to "poly/ nylon" gears after the # 620- 626- 628- 629 machines were made. These started out with metal gears in the Spring of 1966 and by the fall of 1966 they switched to "plastic".. All the 600 and 603 machines had metal gears.

[@ecay]

​@@NeverTooMany2023I finally got it out and fixed up and running. Runs good. Bob and winder works like it's supposed to. Don't know that. I'm that thrilled with it though I still like my Kenmore 1760 better or any of the other kenmore's I have for that matter. But it's fixed up and it's sitting over there. I'll pull it out every once in awhile and mess with it. But if all I'm doing is straight stitch, my go-to machine is my 201-2 or my 99

[@kiddeath1302]

I was gifted a touch and sew II model 778 . Sadly I can barely find anything about it . I’m a beginner and the machine has been sitting for a while (it belonged to a friend’s mom but they put them into an elderly care facility). That’s the only reason I really want to give the machine a chance. However upon testing things out the needle bobbin doesn’t seem to work when I pressed the gear. I’m currently looking for a manual or a place that can help figure it out. Under there hood it looks like a mix of both machines honestly, not so many plastic pieces though . It has the metal gear you pointed out .

[@NeverTooMany2023]

That's great. Fun to have a new machine. Seems like the 778 is going to be harder to find info on, but the more popular 750 should have relative info on your issues and instructions on troubleshooting and such. As a start, I would take the bobbin out and clear out any thread that you can see that might be wrapped up in the bobbin case. More times than not, thread in the bobbin case is the culprit when bound up. After that, I would take the lid off and and bottom off, (unplugged with no needle of course) and try turning the handwheel slowly while inspecting all the moving parts. In the case of the later Touch and Sew machines it is unfortunately more time the case that there is a broken gear that is jammed up. With the lids off and full access to the mechanical components, you should be able to isolate where the problem is. Not sure how mechanically inclined you may be, but this is how I would approach the problem. Hope this helps. Good luck!

[@davidmbolden]

Great video! Thanks. Just curious - are you planning to restore the 750? If so, to what extent?

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Thank you so much! For sure I will be restoring the 750. Actually, both of these machines were handed down to us from Grandmothers from different sides of our family. The 750 is really clean and has little use on it. It will come around pretty nicely. I will need to pull it apart, replace the drive belt, replace all of the plastic gears on the bottom, give it a good cleaning, reassemble, and re-time. I am sure it will work well for many years to come :) Thanks for watching!

[@kennethepps3425]

As an aside, would you like a circa 1966 T&S 626 to show the transition? It's still geared, but they are nylon.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

That would be really cool to have the middle machine to show the transition. You can email us at [e-mail] with more details. Thanks!

[@janhunnicutt8648]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, I’m enjoying learning what to look for. I just purchased a Singer Touch & Sew Model 629. It has plastic gears but was working beautifully and then… the bobbin case stopped turning & my fun was over. I’m considering donating it back to the thrift shop. Or should I have a technician look at and/or fix the bobbin case? I’d like your opinion. Again, thank you

[@NeverTooMany2023]

That is no good. Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your machine. I love all machines and believe they all have a home and a future, but then again, I really enjoy tearing them down and figuring out the issues with them. If you are able to get a free and / or cheap quote on the needed repairs, then I would try that. It could be something simple or something catastrophic. If you have to spend more than about 50 dollars to get it fixed, then it is a parts machine in my opinion. Touch & Sew machines work as well as anything out there if well maintained and properly tuned. If it doesn't work out for you, don't worry...there are plenty of awesome machines out there with your name on them :) Good luck!

[@janhunnicutt8648]

@@NeverTooMany2023 thank you for your knowledge & expertise. I have to travel to another town for sewing machine service & they start at more than $50 so back to the thrift shop you go! You’re right there are really nice machines out there =) and I’ll be looking.

[@sebrinacombs9366]

I have a 625 just got other day at thrift store not tried yet is it a good model looks kinda like the one you said is better model

[@NeverTooMany2023]

That's great! good find. Good luck with it. I am sure you will love it :)

[@kyragtopgirl]

I watched this 20 minutes after buying the 750. Well, I only spent $10, so I will clean it up and give it to someone.

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Lol. That's great. I am sure it will make a wonderful machine for someone, if not for you. Despite its shortcomings, it is still a really fun machine to use. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching!

[@ecay]

Singer quality from my understanding, started dropping in the '60s and just continued to decline. Once I started introducing plastic they just didn't stop. They just kept on it till now that they have basically full plastic machines. I don't even know why people put up with it that they do

[@NeverTooMany2023]

Sounds about right. It is sad to see as the early years of Singer machines were built so very nice. Thanks for watching!