1964 Smith Corona Poweriter #B6SE 105811
Status: My Collection
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
Created: 05-20-2025 at 02:53PM
Last Edit: 05-22-2025 at 05:28AM

Description:
Nearly perfect cosmetics. There is little evidence it was used much. The belt is cooked, fuse is blown and the motor is struggling. We shall see....
It types on shore power. However, the motor is on the last leg. It is is easy to out pace it and it lacks the Smith Corona speed. Now that I have two working, maybe I will build a 1/2 D-cell pack?
There were at least three versions of the power supply circuitry in these. This is gen two and a big step over gen one. There may be a another after this and before the solid state SS machines, where they finally arrived at something halfway reliable. By the SN prefaces, I'd say there probably was. The first two models were 110 carriages and then onto the larger 120 after this.
It is 1963 and Smith Corona is killing it. The electrics are a pro and consumer revolution. This was a bridge too far. In the early 70s they are trying to blow them out at half off the MSRP. Were they just a loss leader to get people in the door to sell them an Electra or a big 250?
Consumer Reports had this to say:
A CORDLESS ELECTRIC. The Smith-Corona Poweriter Cordless 12 ran about 10 hr. straight on its battery, which then needed a recharge. A full charge requires about 16 hr. but you can start using the machine, plugged in, after about 10 min. ; if left plugged in, you can use it indefinitely. We judged it somewhat lower in overall quality than the others tested, being slower and producing lighter copy. It lists at $199.50, but can be used with either 110 or 220 volt a-c, 50 or 60 Hertz, a possible boon to travelers.
Typeface Specimen:

Links:
- Electra SS
- Pop Science
- motorboating
- inventing electriciy
- Gallery
- "presidential elite" can be pica (10) or elite (12)
Photos:


Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
James Grooms's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 13026
As with many, the bug is back there somewhere due to an Underwood No. 5. My grandparents had a No 5. My parents had a yellow Royal Safari that I used to index card everything, including a beer can collection. Collection syndrome clue! A casual interest in typewriters started with a garage sale 3 bank simply because it said Underwood on it. Typewriters were found here and there , but I wasn't actively looking for them. The long dormant collecting tic was activated when my neighbors left a Remington Quiet Riter on the curb when they moved.
Typewriters are the perfect blend of using one's technical skills, history and functional purpose. My goal is type tested machines. My interests are not isolated to anyone area. For example, I am a big fan of Smith Corona electrics, mid century electrics and all things Royal.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Smith Corona Poweriter on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Smith Corona Serial Number page and the Smith Corona Poweriter By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.