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Singer 401 vs 403...Which is the machine for me?

6/28/2012

22 Comments

 
So you have a project or cottage industry and you need a heavy duty sewing machine.  You've heard you should get a Singer 401, but can't find one that fits your budget.  Then you see a 403 and wonder...what's the difference?

Good question.  The simple answer is that 401 was top-of-the-line and 403 the next step down.  But what does that really mean?

Let's compare:
Picture







401 Slant-o-Matic
Fully Automatic

Features:
        Slant needle
        Rotary hook
        Steel Gears
        .72 Amp direct drive motor
        Double-thread capacity tensioner
        Double capacity needle clamp
        Special Disc compartment
        25+ stitch patterns built in

Picture







403 Slant-o-Matic Special
Semi-Automatic

Features:
        Slant needle
        Double thread capacity tensioner
        Double capacity needle clamp
        Rotary hook
        Steel Gears
        .72 Amp direct drive motor
        Special Disc compartment
        No built-in stitch patterns

Picture









Inside the 401:

Note the stack of steel cams at center right. These are the "built-in" stitch patterns.  Special Discs are not required for zig-zag and over 25 other patterns.  However, Special Discs 1-5 are additional designs not built-in on the 401 and can also be used in conjunction with built-in stitches to produced additional "Combination" stitches, such as scalloped zig-zag.   

Picture
Inside the 403:

Note the absence of steel cams.  Unless a Special Disc is inserted the machine will only produce straight stitch. 

So which machine is better?

The bottom line is:  it all depends on what kind of sewing you will do. Both models have the same motor, the same steel-gears, and the same basic design. 

If all you need is heavy duty straight or zig-zag stitches, go with 403.  It is simpler to operate and a little less noisy because it has fewer moving metal parts.  And you can still do decorative stitching with a set of Special Discs. 

If you need maximum artistic freedom, go with the 401.  It's harder to use at first, but once you get familiar with the controls, you will enjoy the variety and flexibility of built-in stitches.  And you get the prestige of owning "top-of-the-line" if that matters to you.


Happy Sewing!
Barbara

OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.

22 Comments
laminators link
8/23/2012 05:43:11 pm

I was looking for something like ..comparison among machines...,Thank you for posting the great content……I found it quiet interesting, hopefully you will keep posting such blogs…

Reply
OldSewinGear
9/10/2012 01:51:55 pm

Thank you! More reviews and comparisons are coming.

Reply
Olivia V Smith
3/6/2014 09:52:13 am

Thank you!!! Your article was exactly what I was looking for. It answered every question I had. You're a peach.

Reply
Karen
7/2/2014 12:04:42 pm

Is there a difference between Singer 403a and Singer 403?

Reply
OldSewinGear
7/2/2014 01:52:31 pm

Karen,
403 is the model number and the "a" indicates it was built at the Anderson, South Carolina factory. Sometimes there are variations within a model depending on where it was built. For example, the 401 built in Germany is different from the 401a built in Anderson. I haven't found any differences between 403 and 403a in my research, but all of the 403's I've had were 403a's, so I cannot answer your question from firsthand knowledge. Sorry I can't be more definite. Readers?

Reply
Helen Greene
7/30/2021 11:09:00 am

Will 403 repair parts fit 403a?

Reply
Joyce
11/19/2014 11:50:49 am

So helpful, thanks!

Reply
Brenda
11/27/2014 05:21:40 am

Just get both!! Love my 401a Getting a 403 for Christmas. Thanks for the tutorial!

Reply
Linda Wulf Koenig link
1/13/2015 07:16:13 am

My husband found a 403 at the thrift shop for eight dollars...I kid you not. The motor smoked, but after he took it apart and cleaned it, it runs like a champ!! I love it and love the 503a inherited from my mom-in-law. They are such workhorses, but one thing I've realized is that you have to keep them in use, or they get sluggish. I don't blame them; too little movement makes me the same way. :)

Reply
Kari Vanderblue
11/19/2015 09:37:18 pm

Thanks for this information! Exactly what I needed as I am buying a 403 tomorrow! I was worried about the cams but I'm mostly a straight stitcher so happy to learn about those. Thanks!

Reply
Vera Gooch
7/17/2016 12:55:54 am

I have a 401a, bought off craiglist, went and tried it out first, I love it, so today I found a 403 at Griffin store, had came out of Cabinet no cord or anything but it was $10. Used cord from 401a and light even still worked. All my 401a cams etc will cross over. I have an empty Cabinet that I'm going to use for it. I love these machines.

Reply
OldSewinGear
8/7/2016 09:54:29 am

Score! I love both of these machines. Happy sewing!
Barbara

Reply
Tara
1/28/2018 09:00:19 am

Hi there, thanks for the helpful and informative article! Do you know if it's posible to use cams from a singer 328 with the 401/403s and 501/503s? I have a 328, and now am eying up a 503 that is for sale in my city. Many thanks for your input.

Reply
OldSweinGear
1/28/2018 12:08:08 pm

Tara, the discs for 328 and 500/503 are completely different. Check out the article "Disc-o-mania" for more details.
Barbara

Reply
Jeri
6/9/2018 06:43:05 pm

Thank you, very informative. I purchased a 403 recently from a charity shop, but didn't know anything about this machine.

Reply
JD
7/17/2018 03:31:01 pm

The 403 is generally the better choice. Less complex and less maintenance. The 401 is more complex and collects more crud inside and has tighter tolerances with the additional parts.

Reply
Candace
4/13/2019 11:06:16 pm

Hi there. I’ve been searching for my husband a heavy duty sewing machine for sewing leather and need advice on which one to get him... I’ve come across a Singer 401A, Singer 301A, Singer 328K, Singer 185K, Vintage SewRite, Kenmore Model29 from 1960s, Singer 500A. He’s wanting to get back into making leather knife sheaths, wallets, small purses, etc. Any advice on which sewing machine we should purchase would be a great help to me. Thank you greatly.

Reply
Aboo
9/24/2022 04:44:21 pm

I owned a 401a from a teenager till my late thirties when I got my mom’s computerized machine. Then I got another computerized machine. I realized my mistake of course because I was always needing a good backup machine and I had got rid of the most reliable machine I had had. I just bought me another one today off of Marketplace for $60 including the solid wood cabinet. Whoo hoo!

Reply
Hilary
12/17/2022 03:52:22 pm

Hi! I have a 401, a 403 and a 500! I’m having trouble using upholstery or ‘Outdoor’ thread in these. Anyone have a good tip? The bobbin thread jumps out of the bobbin and crosses /tangles in the bobbin case if I try. Regular All Purpose thread I don;t have a problem (unless I mix and match bobbin vs. top threads)

Thanks

Reply
Karen Stewart
2/2/2023 08:06:41 am

My mother just gifted me her Slant o Matic (love that name) 403 which she bought in Germany 61 years ago. She bought it to make clothes for my sister who was a baby. She and my dad bought it from an American px store (where they had to get permission to shop). My dad was Canadian military reserves and my parents lived in Germany for four years to help the country rebuild its finances after WWII. This machine has travelled and now resides in Canada. And it is a tank of a machine. It holds so many lovely memories for me, as I got to use it as a child. No new machine can give me the nostalgia of the 403 Slanto-o-matic. Thank you for keeping this history alive. Now I know why my machine is a 403 and not a 403a!

Reply
Tony
2/10/2023 03:14:19 am

That’s interesting does your machine run on 110v or 220V? I ask as Europe and the UK are on 220-230V and AFAIK all German built machines will have made to run on the higher voltage ( making machines for the USA in Europe when the was the US factory makes no sense). I’m not sure the 403 was ever made in Germany, they definitely made the 401G that differs from the 401A and also the 404G. Anyway you have a great machine wherever it was made.

Reply
Karen Stewart
2/10/2023 03:23:37 am

I don’t know about voltage. I just know mine isn’t labelled as 403a just as 403. The author of the blog commented that the a stands for a factory in America and that the 403 was made in Germany. Where would I be able to see the voltage?




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