Originally Posted by
quiltstringz
Actually the sales lady is not lying - the factory got flooded and they did not replace/repair the machines to make the older parts. So they are not making any of the older parts. Now in the aftermarket (people who reclaim old machines and part them out) or in a shop who happens to have in backstock one of those parts you can sometimes find them. But a dealer if they don't have it and can't order it from Bernina is not going to go looking all around the web trying to find a part and you can't blame them.
NONE of the European manufacturers make all the parts anymore. No, I don't blame them for not wanting to spend the time looking for parts, but they are available and to tell someone a machine is not repairable or unfixable is not a correct statement. And there are actually quite a few generic after market parts like gears, cords etc. that are still made.
I repair vintage Berninas frequently and I always manage to get the job done.