The first thing I check on a machine is that all the keys are there!
I prefer these features on my typewriters:
-Tabulator (hand-set at least)
-Line spacing selector (for double spacing)
-Paper bail or Paper fingers
-Paper scale
I agree with Uwe, I've found that the features you need depend most on what you plan on writing. I wouldn't use my simple portable to write a formatted final draft, but I don't absolutely need a desktop typewriter for first drafts or personal writing. In my (limited) experience, I haven't seen many typewriters with broken touch control.
 

I’m not an expert on repair, and my knowledge barely exceeds that of a basic layman, but I might be able to help out a little bit. Your problem sounds similar to an issue I had with my ‘27 Remington Portable when I first got it. It would type fine until I got about halfway across the page and then the carriage would stop completely. I poked around and discovered that the drawband had slipped off its track on the mainspring and had tangled around the screw that mounts the mainspring. Once I had reseated the drawband in its track (and the little guide pulley further along) that resolved the issue; I’ve not had any problems since then.

I’m not that knowledgeable on Portable 5 mechanics, but knowing Remington I would say the setup is probably similar -if not identical- to it’s 1920s predecessor. I hope this can help!

Hello, all. I'm rather new to this forum, so if I make any mistakes in terminology, or if this topic has indeed been discussed already, then please don't hesitate to correct me!

Now to "cut to the quick," I recently acquired a 1940 Remington DeLuxe Noiseless (one of the "1941 Line" machines) that is in pretty good condition. I cleaned it up, threw a new ribbon in it, and it types like a dream. However, I noticed that the gloss black paint on the keyrings appears to be rubbing off. Now, I knew this was a potential issue with these '41 Line machines, I've seen many pictures where the original keyring paint has almost entirely worn off. And one of the specific reasons why I bought this particular specimen is because the keyring paint is in such good condition -comparably few keys have any wear on them at all.

In response to this, I thought of applying a clear coat of some kind to give a protective layer to stop the paint from wearing off, and this is where I'm stuck. I'm not entirely sure about what the specific "composition" of the keys are. So, I pose my questions: does anyone know what type of paint Remington would have used on the keys back in 1940? Is it enamel paint? Oil based or water based? Finally, if I put on a clear coat, do I have to worry about damaging the key itself? For example, does anyone know if it is a paper insert covered by a glass (or celluloid) top?

If anyone has an idea on the makeup of these keys, or other suggestions on how to limit their wearing away, I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you all in advance!