Singer Spartan - Test Drive

 

Meet "Leonidas", a restored Singer 192K "Spartan". It's sitting in a sewing table that's meant for a much larger machine, my Sailrite Ultrafeed LS-1, which is much heavier, longer, and wider. Leonidas is actually sitting upon a sewing textbook to boost it up that critical 1" to align the machine base with the table. The 192K "Spartan" is usually called a 3/4 size machine because it's larger than the little Featherweight, but smaller than the full size Singer 201. Don't let its small appearance fool you - the Spartan tips the scales at a stout 25 lbs!

Appropriate to its name, the Spartan is plainer than other Singer models of its day - no gold decals adorn it, nor did it come with a light. The light you see on the machine is a modern LED light that's attached to a magnet so it can be put on any metal machine to more light.

Left side (I forgot to turn off the LED)

Back. 

Right side

Close up of stitch length selector. Note 192K label and "Back Tack"

Top view

Another front view

Close up of drop in bobbin and needle plate.

I really like the needle plate - many of my older Singers have a plain one without any markings. This needle plate is marked in 1/8" increments, both horizontally and vertically away from the needle, ensuring accurate seam allowances for straight sewing and sewing around right angle corners.

The Spartan sews very quietly and makes beautiful stitches. The needle threads from left to right, making it easy for its lefthanded owner to thread it. It doesn't have a case, just the black base which fastens to the bottom of the machine with a single large screw. 

I used this machine for about an hour before its engine started losing power and making a clicking noise. I will have to take it to a machine mechanic to fix as I don't know enough about motors to fix it myself. Hopefully, it can be easily fixed. Otherwise, I may just convert it to a hand crank as I've heard that Spartans can be motorized or hand crank machines.