If you find one at a garage sale for $10, buy it. Clean it. Spend a weekend fixing the drawband. And then sit down and type a letter. You will find that the word "Easy" isn't just a brand—it is a philosophy. It is easy to love a machine that asks for so little and yet still manages to put words on a page decades after it left the factory.
The "614" model is part of a series of ultra-portable, ultra-simplified machines designed for students and travelers. It is a "portable" in the truest sense: it usually lives inside a hard plastic carrying case that is only slightly larger than the machine itself. Unboxing an Easy Renault 614 (if you are lucky enough to find one) is an exercise in 1970s industrial design. The machine is almost comically small. Compared to a standard portable like a Hermes 3000, the Renault 614 looks like a toy. But it is not plastic. easy renault 614 portable
Because of the "portable" design, the platen (the black rubber roller) is usually quite small—about 1 inch in diameter. This small platen means the paper tends to curl if you are using cheap paper. Use thick, 24lb bond paper for the best results. If you acquire an Easy Renault 614, you will likely need to fix a few things. These machines are 50+ years old, and they degrade in predictable ways. 1. The Rubber Deterioration The platen and the feed rollers turn to rock or turn to goo. If the paper won't feed straight, you need to remove the platen and scrub the rollers with rubber rejuvenator or replace them with heat-shrink tubing. 2. The Drawband Because the spring motor is strong for such a small machine, the cotton drawband (the cord that pulls the carriage across) frequently snaps. Replacing this requires opening the main spring barrel—a job that usually sends tiny springs flying across the room. Pro tip: If your Renault 614 carriage does not move when you type, the drawband is broken. 3. Sticking Typebars The segment (the metal comb where the typebars pivot) gets gummed up with old oil and dust. Do not use WD-40. You must use a solvent like mineral spirits and a toothbrush to scrub the pivots, then use a dry lubricant. Repair and Restoration Guide for the Easy Renault 614 Restoring an Easy Renault 614 is a weekend project suitable for an intermediate tinkerer. If you find one at a garage sale for $10, buy it
The "easy" moniker fails when you look at the touch. The keys require a decisive, deep press. This is not a machine for a soft touch or fast typing. If you try to type at 80 words per minute, you will find the keys locking up frequently. However, if you type slowly and deliberately—as one might when writing a letter or a journal entry—it works beautifully. The "Portable" Feature: Carrying Case and Travel The most common way to find an Easy Renault 614 today is still inside its original hard case. The case is usually a beige or black plastic clamshell with a metal latch. And then sit down and type a letter
Today, its legacy is that of a survivor. Because it was cheap, many were thrown away. The ones that remain are a testament to Brother’s robust, if uninspired, engineering.
Because it is an "Easy" brand, collectors often ignore it in favor of Olivettis or Hermes. This is good for you. You can grab a bargain. Let us be brutally honest. If you want a daily writer for novels, do not buy this. Buy a Smith-Corona Silent or a Hermes Baby.