Originally Posted by
chiaraquilts
My daughter inherited a Singer 4530 from her MIL, it seems to work ok, but has only one basic foot. She is really getting into sewing and would like a zipper foot, walking foot, etc, to be able to do more. She is on a super tight budget so I thought it would be a good Christmas thing to do. So, my question is, does it make sense to spend money on accessories for this machine or would it make more sense to buy a better but basic machine that has all the feet, etc.? From what I have read, Singer's of this age are not very reliable, and I would hate to have it stop working after buying a bunch of stuff for it...any thoughts? I could spend about 400 dollars for a new machine.
there is no problem about this...singer sells ANY attachment for ANY machine they ever made and trust me they made plenty of feet for a machine this new... your MIL probably just lost some... for a few dollars she will have a machine that will hem, ruffle, buttonhole, etc., the site below shows all the feet by manufacturer... many are interchangeable...the big question is...'what does your presser foot look like? a boot or a shoe? i don't think the 4530 is a slant needle but check, just in case... then when you know which shape to purchase, get on the 800 number and check with the people there just to be safe. there are lots of choices for singers... you can still buy treadle belts, needles and feet so don't worry about this machine, it has a lot of capability... you will want a blind hem foot and a buttonhole foot that works with your built in zig zag and maybe a darning foot in case she wants to do some FAQ... there is also a 'bernina-style-foot' called a presser foot shank...you buy this one shank, screw it on and then you just buy the flat, 'snap-on' feet which are nice and have another whole selection... the machine was free, it is a good little machine and she should be able to do lots with it with just an extra foot or three...have fun...
http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/singer-sewing-machine-presser-feet.aspx