1 - Fleetwing
- Typewriter Talk Vet
Offline - From: Hartford, CT USA
- Registered: 30-6-2015
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Underwood SX-150 -- Worth the Trouble?
I checked out one of these today, in pretty lousy cosmetic condition (decals largely worn off; lefthand chrome strip detached; rear panel detached and doesn't seem to want to reattach). Most important, the machine will not shift: The shift levers all work, but the basket does not move. Is this an easy fix? I realize this is probably an unfair question to ask, since you can't inspect the machine, and I didn't have a chance to study it closely myself. But is this a common problem, or at least one with an easy fix?
Otherwise the machine seems pretty good. The keys work well and the carriage moves freely, though the tab is sluggish. The seller was asking $35 but I told her I couldn't go higher than $10 in its current condition.
- Fleetwing
- Typewriter Talk Vet
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- From: Hartford, CT USA
- Registered: 30-6-2015
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Re: Underwood SX-150 -- Worth the Trouble?
My apologies -- I meant to say it's an SX-100, circa 1950. Sorry about that.
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Thread Starter- TypewriterGuy
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Re: Underwood SX-150 -- Worth the Trouble?
Ehhhh...
Its really your choice on that..
As for the basket, I have no idea, BUT my Underwood has the same problem.
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- From: Ohio
- Registered: 25-2-2015
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Re: Underwood SX-150 -- Worth the Trouble?
It could be that the shift mechanism came unattached on the bottom. When I got my S-150, the shift was attached with a twisted bit of bobby pin, so it might be that that is a sort of a common problem. I have a thread somewhere on there about my SX-150 where I show a picture of the attachment. I removed the bobby pin and replaced it with a screw and nut because it was affecting the vertical alignment of the shifted characters.
The other problems... I just don't know. I love my SX-150 (Battleship Bertha). I think I got a bit of Stockholm Syndrome working on her, lol. Oh, and Bertha doesn't have a back panel at all. I didn't notice that until I got her home. She sits up against the wall, so I can live with it. $10 would be worth a go, I think.
- Fleetwing
- Typewriter Talk Vet
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- From: Hartford, CT USA
- Registered: 30-6-2015
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Re: Underwood SX-150 -- Worth the Trouble?
Thanks for the tip -- is the thread here on this forum? I'll look for it.
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Thread Starter- Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- Posts: 830
Re: Underwood SX-150 -- Worth the Trouble?
It was in the maintenance forum. Here is a link:
- Fleetwing
- Typewriter Talk Vet
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- From: Hartford, CT USA
- Registered: 30-6-2015
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Re: Underwood SX-150 -- Worth the Trouble?
Found it, thanks. Maybe it's just a case of a missing nut and bolt, as with yours.
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
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Re: Underwood SX-150 -- Worth the Trouble?
It's easily worth a $10 investment. The post-war Underwood standards are nice machines to type with, and fairly serviceable; skip lunch at McDonalds for one day and buy it!
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- Fleetwing
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- From: Hartford, CT USA
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Re: Underwood SX-150 -- Worth the Trouble?
Uwe wrote:
It's easily worth a $10 investment. The post-war Underwood standards are nice machines to type with, and fairly serviceable; skip lunch at McDonalds for one day and buy it!
That'd be one large lunch at McD's! Actually, I just saw a posting for an SG1 maybe 55 miles away -- I think I'd like to snap that up before the Underwood. But I agree; the Underwood ought to be fixable, and if the seller will take $10 instead of the $35 she's asking, that should be a no-brainer.
And I also have a line on a Royal HH not far away. Good hunting hereabouts this week.
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
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Re: Underwood SX-150 -- Worth the Trouble?
I drove further than that to get my first SG1 (it was listed as being free, but I insisted that they take $40 for it). I'm partial to the SG1, but the Royal HH is another great standard. If it was me I'd get all three, but I admittedly have a bit of a typewriter problem...
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
