Elna SU 62C No. 2

I spotted another Elna SU on CL last night without a price. Intrigued, I contacted the seller and he responded that he thought $40 was fair. I agreed and this morning I met him (great guy -- a fisherman who had no idea how to operate the machine) and I tried it out. It works beautifully. These are some really nice stitches and the machine is quiet and smooth, just like my first Elna SU that still needs a hook pinion gear replacement.

I really like this machine. However, with its plastic parts, it's prone to breakage and so I only recommend it with qualification: 1) if it's cheap; 2) if it's in good condition; 3) if you don't mind getting under the hood; 4) if you need a lighter weight free arm machine. This would be a great machine for sewing lightweight wovens, particularly sleeves, cuffs, collars, etc. The straight stitch is impressive for a zig-zag machine and the built-in patterns as well as the cam patterns are very attractive. But a Kenmore, this ain't. It just isn't reliable/durable and powerful enough for me; that the feed dogs can't be dropped and the pressure can't be adjusted are two more demerits.  It's a shame, as it's otherwise a smooth, quiet, superlative sewing machine.

Elna SU 62C

I found my first Elna at a thrift store.  It runs, but doesn't yet sew.  The hook and bobbin aren't moving, though they don't appear frozen.  So something isn't connected.

This is one of those borderline machines where I suspect I might be purchasing trouble.  Unless I'm a complete bonehead and don't understand the ins and outs of Elna-ese (I don't have a manual), this may be hard to fix.  Other than that, it's obviously a quality machine -- all-metal except for one part I found underneath the lid (a gear whose function I haven't yet figured out, as I've owned the machine all of 2 hours).

It looks OK for a thrift store machine that was sitting on a shelf w/out the protection of a case.  Included was a box with cams, some thread and bobbins (no feet, though), a small screwdriver that is bent to the point of useless, and I assume this box slides under the free arm.  The pedal was also included, thankfully.

Upon powering it up, the light worked and the machine ran slowly.  It gradually picked up speed and the needle bar moves smoothly, quietly, and quickly.  I've seen these machines in pictures, blogs, etc. and have never been attracted to the design, probably because it looked like a simple zig-zag machine.  However, this particular model has a cam stack for several built-in stitches and takes cams for extra decorative sewing.  The bobbin area is accessed via the back of the arm, oddly.

Hopefully I can get this thing sewing.