what is the best sewing machine oil for a pfaff 1245 706/47?

[bodily_carried_technology]

hello, i have an old pfaff 1245 sewing machine, and i would like to know what sewing machine oil would work best on it?

i did some research and searched for this question on this website but i couldn't find anything

some people said that tri flow superior lubricant is good for sewing machines but that it could leak through and stain the product, i definitely don't want that, so i wanted to ask you guys what the best sewing machine oil is for a pfaff 1245 706/47 that doesn't have the possibility of staining the product i'm working on?

 

thank you 

[kgg]

3 hours ago, bodily_carried_technology said:

some people said that tri flow superior lubricant is good for sewing machines but that it could leak through and stain the product, i definitely don't want that, so i wanted to ask you guys what the best sewing machine oil is for a pfaff 1245 706/47 that doesn't have the possibility of staining the product i'm working on?

Most people use regular sewing machine oil. Normally you would follow the manufacturers recommendation as outlined in the manual. Most people I think use a Lilly white sewing oil or a variant. Lilly white has a viscosity of 5W. As a note a higher viscosity will make the bearings carry the load better at lower speed, but maybe not great at prolonged higher speeds. 

I personally never use normal sewing machine oil in any of my machines old or new but that is my choice. I use a blend of synthetic motor and synthetic transmission oils. If the machine is old I will use a higher concentration of transmission oil to flush debris or dried oil out so the bearings can get fresh oil in there for lubrication. If there is minor wear in the bearings I use a higher concentration of motor oil. If I am doing regular oiling I use about 20 percent synthetic transmission oil in the blend. I find the synethic oil blend makes the machine run smoother and quieter. 

Just in case you don't have a manual for your machine I have included a pdf. Refer to page 4 "Oiling" for what the manufacturer recommends as far as oil and oiling interval. 

The problem of staining I find is caused by over oiling.

kgg

    

1245 Owners Old Case.pdf

[bodily_carried_technology]

yeah i took a look at the manual and it said 

 

"Use oil with a viscosity of 16.0 mm2/ sec. at 50°C and a density of 0.87 kg/dm3 only."

 

but idk what that means  

[kgg]

46 minutes ago, bodily_carried_technology said:

"Use oil with a viscosity of 16.0 mm2/ sec. at 50°C and a density of 0.87 kg/dm3 only."

The manual actually says 16.0 mm2/ sec. which is equal to 5W oil.

kgg

[bodily_carried_technology]

what is 5W oil? 

[fredk]

17 minutes ago, bodily_carried_technology said:

what is 5W oil? 

SAE oil rated at a viscosity of 5 in Winter

Modern cars usually use something like 10w/40 multigrade oil = 10 viscosity in winter and 40 in summer, ie its thinner in winter

[kgg]

1 hour ago, bodily_carried_technology said:

what is 5W oil?

Same as normal sewing machine oil like Lily White.

kgg

[bodily_carried_technology]

so get some lily white sewing machine oil? 

[dikman]

Yep, if you're not sure what to use then it's the safest.

[bodily_carried_technology]

what is lily white sewing machine oil? 

is it a special type of sewing machine oil? 

or maybe i should be asking what is sewing machine oil? is it special or different then normal oil?

are there different types of oils for different things? 

[fibersport]

12 hours ago, fredk said:

SAE oil rated at a viscosity of 5 in Winter

Modern cars usually use something like 10w/40 multigrade oil = 10 viscosity in winter and 40 in summer, ie its thinner in winter

FredK - I see you're in Ireland so that might explain your comment about "modern cars" (not making any bad references to Ireland or your cars of course), here in the US 10W-40 went out with the 70's.  Some of our newer cars run 0W-20!  

Edited Monday at 12:01 PM by fibersport

[fredk]

  

[Wizcrafts]

4 hours ago, bodily_carried_technology said:

what is lily white sewing machine oil? 

is it a special type of sewing machine oil? 

or maybe i should be asking what is sewing machine oil? is it special or different then normal oil?

are there different types of oils for different things? 

Lily white oil is a special clear, thin oil meant for sewing machines. Being clear, it doesn't discolor most fabrics if it drips out as you sew. You can buy it in 4 ounce containers that have a pull out thin brass tube, and in quart bottles to refill the 4 oz containers. It is very light weight oil. I recommend buying and using it in all your sewing machines.

[bodily_carried_technology]

ok so if i just type in 

"lily white oil" 

or 

"sewing machine oil" 

it's all the same stuff? 

 

for example, just buy this? 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Stainless-Flexible-Telescoping-Machinery/dp/B0BV4G9R1S?crid=38GL4Y3BVLSTY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FLuLdV6swcw7Tnk6oxhNvsT6sZt0Eu6RWcyT7r-R-tzQXvRTh2UWycG8odVVBuag4W9pLZiMxQjgEc6jlvte7FWAgSDvEQPvl2N_8qPdt932QIQsO5PTQRdhxUJf3TDZHuJFsKfYL61-jJ3BWNEuXuVBw-VOMBKyCwK7NEs6VlGm5VZXdawjH88hUMOwqaifX4_JYmM3iRUPidZJowOSO-QZtvb__pfhc1Gn4vyskhOxEs1tIaw064bOf_7uKDs2YoDAq6Ia_SoqQDJjwEmDeflmELXCK37Po8gaVhnRsXQ.tAeKAw1X4QzMdJCaDAUoD-3owjFyJ02iFYW8P30qfQY&dib_tag=se&keywords=lily+white+oil&qid=1750698432&sprefix=lily+white+oil%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-9

[fredk]

That should do and it should last you a while

[bodily_carried_technology]

awesome thank you 

[dikman]

I suspect you could also use medicinal/food grade mineral oil too as it won't have any of the additives you get in many industrial oils.

[shoepatcher]

I prefer While stainless sewing machine oil.  Does not stain.

glenn

[Cumberland Highpower]

10w spindle oil is what I'd use on that machine. Many machine makers call for it.

In truth you can use almost any oil including motor oil.   

In the past I often just used a 30w straight oil on many machines and worked great, especially older machines that I received with a bit of pre-wear.   Thicker oil does tend to quiet down a worn machine a bit.

Some machines actually call for a heavy oil, such as the famed Adler 205.  It's Esso K68, that's essentially a first cousin to bar and chain oil.

Lilly white is popular here.  I find it a bit light, but many also use it for thread lube so could double up.

Topic for endless debate here.

Edited Thursday at 12:42 PM by Cumberland Highpower

[Cumberland Highpower]

On 6/23/2025 at 6:01 PM, dikman said:

I suspect you could also use medicinal/food grade mineral oil too as it won't have any of the additives you get in many industrial oils.

I'm a huge fan of Ballistol and use it almost everywhere, but more sparingly on sewing machines.  On sewing machinery I find it a mixed bag and use it for select points.

Edited Thursday at 12:45 PM by Cumberland Highpower

[Cumberland Highpower]

On 6/23/2025 at 6:59 AM, fibersport said:

FredK - I see you're in Ireland so that might explain your comment about "modern cars" (not making any bad references to Ireland or your cars of course), here in the US 10W-40 went out with the 70's.  Some of our newer cars run 0W-20!  

When my "work van" with a 3.6 Pentastar went out of warranty 10 years ago I started using 10w30/40.  Was cheaper to buy as a generic than 5W-20.   I've seen no negativity over the years and have 350k on it.  No apparent decrease in fuel economy or hard starting in cold either.  

In a general sense it makes no difference in most applications.

 

Edited Thursday at 01:07 PM by Cumberland Highpower

[Gump]

Sewing machine oil is light mineral oil. The drug store stuff is heavy mineral oil, not good for machines. I personally use 5 w 20 synthetic motor oil for industrial sewing heavy web strap, 6" wide and you can hear the difference at full speed. So much quieter, all the little clicks go away. Color is close to clear, but wouldn't use around vegtan. 

[dikman]

10 hours ago, Cumberland Highpower said:

Topic for endless debate here.

Indeed! If you join a car or motorbike forum I can guarantee there will be a thread titled "what is the best oil to use?" and there will be endless discussion/argument about the subject.