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BROWSE SCHOOLHOUSE
A common question we receive here in the shop is, "Are some Featherweights better than others?" It is a great question and one that we are always verbose to answer! While a Featherweight is a Featherweight is a Featherweight, there were many changes, often subtle, that are interesting to note and can affect the decision-making process when getting ready to buy. This comparison guide will display what distinguishes certain 221 models from others, so it will be easier to determine what Featherweight will be best for you.
AD Series 1933-1935:
The "AD" series Featherweights spanned from 1933 into 1935, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 53,044 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "AD." As with most collectible items, the earlier productions are of greater value and desirability, with condition-grade and originality ultimately affecting the market price. Because the Featherweight was quite young in its production during the mid-1930s, Singer was still fine-tuning mechanical parts and cosmetic appearances (see the Historical Timeline for detailed changes). So, if you need replacement parts for the earliest Featherweights, they can be much harder to source and are sometimes even non-existent.
1933-1934 AD541546-791845:
Pros:
Cons:
1935 AD880156-AD999999
Pros:
Cons:
AE Series 1935-1938:
The "AE" series Featherweights spanned from 1935 into 1938, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 132,000 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "AE."
1935 AE000001-AE222615
Pros:
Cons:
1936-1937 AE294041-AE556640
Pros:
Cons:
1937-1938 AE770591-AE993540
Pros:
Cons:
AF Series 1938-1941:
The "AF" series Featherweights spanned from 1938 into 1941, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 166,749 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "AF."
1938-1940 AF070706-AF497180:
Pros:
Cons:
1940-1941 AF571881-AF942450:
Pros:
Cons:
1941 AF998251-AF999999:
Pros:
Cons:
AG Series 1941-1947:
The "AG" series Featherweights spanned from 1941 into 1947, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 148,250 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "AG." It is worth noting that no Featherweights were produced from 1942-1944 because the factories were contributing to the war effort.
1941-1946 AG000001-AG709390:
Pros:
Cons:
1946-1947 AG804771-AG990945:
Pros:
AH Series 1947-1948:
The "AH" series Featherweights spanned from 1947 into 1948, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 246,079 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "AH." You will find that as from about 1948 to 1950 there were not many changes made, and our "pros and cons" section is rather small.
1947 AH050371-AH131970
Pros:
1947-1948 AH193771-AH580920
Pros:
Cons:
1948 AH640321-AH999999:
Pros:
AJ Series 1948-1950:
The "AJ" series Featherweights spanned from 1948 into 1950, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 303,920 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "AJ."
1948-1950 AJ000001-AJ821320
Pros:
1950 AJ887721-AJ937720
Pros:
Cons:
AK Series 1951-1952:
The "AK" series Featherweights spanned from 1951 into 1952, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 215,124 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "AK."
1951 AK071321-AK626775:
Pros:
1952 AK745676-AK999999:
Singer's high quality standard of all previous Featherweight years continued and from 1952 through 1961, Featherweight manufacturing maintained a good, solid, and reliable machine. Singer had mastered and fine-tuned the details, and as such there really aren't any pros or cons that are significant with this era. Collectibility would be based on personal preference with style, cosmetic condition, etc.
AL Series 1952-1955
The "AL" series Featherweights spanned from 1952 into 1955, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 284,875 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "AL."
1952-1953 AL000001-AL560000 approx:
Pros:
1953-1955 AL560000-AL950890
Some may see this as a "pro" and others a "con", but part way through the second run of 1953, the decals on the Featherweight changed to the "Paperclip" art-deco style. These are now the standard decals through the end of production on the black Featherweights. Nothing really changed mechanically, but the update in the decal style is worth noting.
Pros:
AM Series 1955-1957
The "AM" series Featherweights spanned from 1955 into 1957, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 200,000 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "AM." Singer didn't make any changes to or in this series that affected the mechanics or the aesthetics, so they are virtually identical to the previous run in the "AL" series.
Pros:
221K and 221J Featherweights
Featherweights that were made in the UK (assigned a 'K' after the model - 221K) and Canada (assigned a 'J' after the model - 221J) look generally the same as the US Featherweights, but there are differences, some for better and some for worse.
EE Series 1947-1948
The "EE" series Featherweights spanned from 1947 through 1948, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 22,000 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "EE."
Pros:
Cons:
EF Series 1949-1950
The "EF" series Featherweights spanned from 1949 into 1950, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 60,000 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "EF."
Pros:
EG Series 1950-1951
The "EG" series Featherweights spanned from 1950 into 1951, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 71,000 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "EG".
Pros:
Cons:
EH Series 1951-1953
The "EH" series Featherweights spanned from 1951 into 1953, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 60,000 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "EH".
1951-1952 EH001027-635777
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Cons:
1953 EH890433-900432
Pros:
Cons:
EJ Series 1953 EJ211989-216988
The "EJ" series Featherweights were commissioned in 1953, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 5,000 Featherweights were produced with the serial number prefix of "EJ." It is worth noting that there were no 221K Featherweights produced in 1954. At this point, 221K Featherweight manufacturing remained the same until 1959.
Pros:
Some may see this as a "pro and others a con", but partway through 1953 the decals on the Featherweight 221K machines changed to the "Paperclip" art-deco style. These are now the standard decals through the end of production on the black Featherweights.
EK, EL, EM, EN, EP Series 1955-1959
These series of Featherweights were commissioned from 1955-1959, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 37,000 221K Featherweights were produced. Singer did not make any significant changes to the machines during this time period, so I have shown them all here together.
Pros:
ES and ET Series 1960-1961
The "ES" and "ET" series Featherweights were commissioned in 1960-1961, and gauging from the commission date chart, a total of 45,000 Featherweights were produced with those serial number prefixes. At this point Singer also started producing the Tan Featherweights. The 221K Tan Featherweights were often produced in the same runs as the black Featherweights during this time period, so both will be shown here. Because Singer did not segregate the two machines and their serial numbers, we do not know how many Tan Featherweight 221K models are in existence.
1960-1961 Black Featherweight 221K
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1960-1961 Tan Featherweight 221K
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Cons:
Tan Featherweight 221J 1960-1962
During this time period Singer started producing components of the Tan Featherweights in Canada. These Tan Featherweights are badged as 221J machines signifying the St. Johns factory in Quebec. Unfortunately, the records of Tan Featherweight serial numbers are nearly non-existent. They were either poorly kept and / or destroyed when factories closed, so this chart is as extensive to tan Featherweight history as you will find. Historians have concluded that it is impossible to know exactly how many Tan Featherweight 221J models were manufactured in Canada.
EV, EY and FA series 221K White Featherweights 1963-1970
The White Featherweights were commissioned from about 1963-1970. Unfortunately, the records of White Featherweight serial numbers are nearly non-existent. They were either poorly kept and / or destroyed when factories closed, so this chart is as extensive to white Featherweight history as you will find. Thus, it is impossible to know for certain how many white Featherweights were produced, but we have estimated about 150,000. During this time period, and with foreign competition on the rise, Singer streamlined manufacturing, making the Featherweight slightly more compact. In so doing, lower quality details were the result.
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(Click image above for the Parts Link to PDF chart)
Are some Featherweights better than others?
Mechanically, all black and tan Featherweights are the same, so there is not a certain series or year that always works better than others. There are many unknowns in the machine's history that can affect how it runs today, so if buying local, it is a great idea to test a machine before you buy it. Otherwise, if buying online, know your source! When purchasing a Featherweight there are a couple things that should be checked right away and can quickly make or break the sale:
Both an original bobbin case as well as an original foot controller are parts that can be costly to replace and can certainly turn what appears to be a good deal into a high priced machine.
Whether it is a car, a house or a Featherweight there are almost always components that are different with each model or series. If you are looking at purchasing a Featherweight and can't decide which year to search for, this comparison guide should help break down the benefits of each one. Let us know in the comments below what you think or if you have any other details to add for any particular year.