Wind-Up Swings - Do Any Still Exist?

AlwaysGrateful

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 9:42 am

I've been asking a bunch of questions like this recently, but...here's one more.

We're trying to register for a swing for our first baby, b'shaah tova. It seems that wind-up swings are the smartest becuase they can be used on Shabbos too - but it seems like they're not around anymore:

Quote:

Now, more than 50 years later, all of the major manufacturers, including Graco and Fisher-Price, have discontinued their wind-up swings.

But it seems like Graco is still selling some online. Has anyone bought a new wind-up swing recently and have any comments about it? Or where they got it from (especially if it was online)?

Or anyone who thinks that a battery-operated one is fine? I could just see kicking myself later for not getting a wind-up one...even though the battery-operated ones last for much longer...

Pickle Lady

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 10:15 am

I bought a wind-up swing 5 years ago. Its a graco swing. My current baby (#4) is happily enjoying it. The one thing I like about it was that if left on it won't swing forever.

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 10:43 am

I've seen some on ebay over the past few years for $25 + $25 shipping around...let me check.
Don't see any right now Sad

I bought one second hand on luach.com when the opportunity arose, even though I had no one to use it for, since I had always regretted not buying one when I had the chance (since my baby at the time was 6 months old). I never used a swing, but these are so hard to find, I just decided to get one. It's currently at my in-laws to be used by whoever needs it. And IY"H when I will have a need for it, I'll just bring it to my apartment I guess. Worth the 20 bucks.

I've managed without a swing at all for 2 kids, never mind the wind up factor, so if you can't find, it's really not the end of the world. Alternatively, some get plug in swings, and leave it on the whole Shabbos. But if you do see one available, it might be worth it to just get it.

GAMZu

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 11:32 am

I never understood plug-in swings. Not only is the plug-in-socket dangerous, but the wire is so easy to trip over or get strangled in! Not a good idea at all.

myfriends715

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 12:44 pm

I loved the battery powered swing you can always push it maually on shabbos and during the week you don't have to worry abt recranking it

BeershevaBubby

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 12:51 pm

Graco was the last hold-out to make wind up swings and they stopped about 2 years ago.

Good luck finding it.

You'd think there's be an Israeli company that made one... but no.

BlumaG

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 2:02 pm

I have a battety operated swing - I asked a rav if I cud leave it on over shabbos - he said I cud - it meant I had to change the batteries e/ 2 wks but I got them $1 a pack so I didnt mind

egam

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 4:12 pm

AlwaysGrateful wrote:

We're trying to register for a swing for our first baby, b'shaah tova. It seems that wind-up swings are the smartest becuase they can be used on Shabbos too

Did you ask a shaila? I was told by a Rav they are not permissible to use on Shabbos. We bought batery operated one and just pushed it on Shabbos.

Mrs. XYZ

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 4:19 pm

egam wrote:

AlwaysGrateful wrote:

We're trying to register for a swing for our first baby, b'shaah tova. It seems that wind-up swings are the smartest becuase they can be used on Shabbos too

Did you ask a shaila? I was told by a Rav they are not permissible to use on Shabbos. We bought batery operated one and just pushed it on Shabbos.

Why not?

egam

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 5:04 pm

We didn't quiestion it. I would think that it's like wind up watches. You can wind them up on Shabbos given that they are still going. Once they stopped, you can't rewind them.

GAMZu

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 7:22 pm

My husband told me the same as egam says. We didn't wind it on shabbos, just wound it to capacity before shabbos and then gave it a push whenever needed (didn't last as much as we needed, but still.)

I know that people do hold that it's OK... I hope they asked and didn't just assume.

Same with the pull-back toy cars (where you roll it back a little and the spring winds- let it go and it zooms) and the jitter-critters where you pull the string and the little animal vibrates.

We still like our wind-up because it's economical, simple, and doesn't have music buttons for the older kids to abuse.
What I don't like about it though is that the mechanism bar is right over the seat and it's hard to maneuver the baby in. Some swings come with a tray that opens and closes, but this one stays put. So I kinda have to slide the baby in from the back.
IY"H after this baby we'll give the swing away to save space.

Rutabaga

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 7:33 pm

I have a plug-in swing. It's great because it doesn't eat up batteries like so many other things do. I was debating what to do about Shabbos, but I've heard people either leave it on the whole time or put it on a timer. I thought about looking into a wind-up swing, but I decided that I'd rather be inconvenienced 1 day rather than 6 days. You will see, when you need the swing because the baby is kvetchy and you need to get things done (or sleep), then you won't want to have to stop what you're doing (or wake up) every 15 minutes.

queen

Mon, Jul 07 2008, 9:39 pm

Just like Hashem Yaazor.... we bought a wind up Graco swing off of eBay (payed $25 plus shipping) even though at that time we didn't need it. We knew as time went on they'd be harder to come by, so bought and stored in basement. For baby #2 we used, and it was great. Now it's back in the basement Smile

Keep checking both eBay and Craigslist.org