I frequently browse Ebay for that elusive machine I don’t have in my collection and it never fails to amaze me how many second hand expensive, precision European sewing machines being sold on there are being sold with a package (or ten) of SINGER needles. DO NOT buy THAT machine, the hook is likely damaged!
Today’s household sewing machines use the needle system 130/705H also known as 15x1. Older Singer machines, when Singer still was in business, used their own needle system 2020, 2045, etc. These needles are NOT safe to use in any other machines other than vintage Singer models. Even today’s Singer models should not use these needles, remember, Singer hasn’t manufactured a machine since the mid 90s, they are just generic Chinese imports with the Singer brand name on them. System 20XX Singer needles are approximately .5mm shorter than system 130/705H needles. The bigger problem is that the scarf (the indentation on the back of the needle shaft where the hook comes in to grab the needle thread) is displaced. When using a system 2020 or other Singer needle in a machine other than vintage Singer machines, the hook will actually graze the needle because the scarf is in the wrong place, causing not only the needle to wear down faster, but most importantly, the hook after millions of times grazing an incorrect needle will develop a burr. Sometimes a sewing machine technician can buff off this burr, other times, you will be spending $100-300 for a new hook depending on the hook type in your machine. You can actually hear the needle hitting the hook: “Ping! Ping! Ping!”
So, no matter how many times people are told, no matter what the art, people think “If it fits, it must be the right one!” (Same with bobbins, but that’s another blog post!) The answer we can’t say loud enough is “NO!”
It’s not just Singer brand needles; the same is true of Organ brand needles even though they claim they are 130/705H, they are not. There too are other generic brand needles still being sold that are also not the same as 130/705H needles. Schmetz needles are the most trusted, well-known brand of sewing machine needles in the world. Schmetz has for decades manufactured needles that all the elite European brands used for years in their sewing machines. Schmetz needles are not only the best quality, but they also have more needle styles for every situation you may encounter in sewing. We have a free .PDF that can be downloaded from our website explaining all the different types of Schmetz needles available: https://www.thecolorfulworldofsewing.com/collections/schmetz-sewing-machine-needles
