Originally Posted by
KenmoreGal2
Gee, maybe I should consider owning one. Does it take readily available bobbins, needles and the like?
Yes. Because it's considered an industrial machine, parts are readily available and cheap. I got a replacement graduated slide plate, standard foot and six bobbins for under $5 from a supplier in California. It takes a different needle from the standard 15X1, but they're commonly available online. The 31-15 was made for decades, so there are plenty of them out there. Mine is from 1916, so it has no stitch-length calibration marks and no reverse. It's astonishing how quickly those features become unimportant. It has a knee-lift presser foot, a great feature for FMQ.
elnan, I did buy a high-shank walking foot for mine and it doesn't work. That's why I was looking for someone who has had experience with a specific foot that can confirm its functionality.