Kenmore 158.18023 No. 2

If you're interested in Kenmore sewing machines and spend even a small amount of time around them and with others like you, at some point you'll hear about the 1802.  You might even come across one and consider purchasing it.  I highly recommend doing so.

The 158.1802 was Kenmore's top-of-the-line machine back in the late 1960s to early '70s.  If you look at old Sears catalog pages, you'll find grand pictures and write-ups extolling this machine's virtues and indeed, this is as fully functional as a sewing machine could be at the time.  It was sold with lots of accessories and attachments (sometimes called the Tower of Power) and usually in one of the nicest sewing cabinets Sears sold.  The 1802 is a deluxe machine, not the utilitarian appliance many associate with the Kenmore name and even features the 'Sears Best' badge on the back, indicating this was the best machine one could buy from the legendary American department store and mail order business.

Made by Jaguar/Maruzen in Japan, the body is enameled cast aluminum rather than iron and while not lightweight, it's not as heavy as one might expect; in a carrying case, it's very manageable.  As you'd expect, all the innards are steel from the internal cam stack to the drive shafts to the knob mechanisms but even the exterior knobs, hand wheel, and faceplate are metal, including the decorative plate on the nose.  The cam assembly door and hinged nose door close with a satisfying 'Snap!' and moving the hand wheel by hand is really smooth, but takes a little effort due to the mass of the moving parts.

I remember asking a Singer fan what it is about the 201-2 that makes it such a revered machine.  She simply replied "Try it and you'll have your answer."  She was right; her answer could just as easily be applied to the 1802.  If you've not tried it, you're in for a treat.  It's one of the best Kenmores ever made, a great machine.

If there is a point of criticism, I think the hand wheel is too integrated into the body and too narrow.  Were it just a bit wider and set away from the pillar slightly as in other models, it would be easier to grab and turn.  It's fine as it is and I like that it's metal but as someone with very large hands, size matters.

This particular example is near-mint.  There is the tiniest paint ding on the rear of the lid and other than that, it's in perfect condition.  $50.  The 1802(0-4 -- there are five numerical designations for basically the same machine) doesn't appear often on CL in my area, so I snagged it.  If I sell one of my two, it will be this one, as it shows a little more wear.

*Edit to add: Melani, in her comment below, reminds me that the four models of 1802 machines are 1-4, not 0-3 as I had thought.

**Edit to further add that upon further research, there are five such machines (158.1802[0-4]) and these final numbers appear to indicate the year of production, i.e. 18020 == 1968; 18024 == 1972.