I would like to buy one, however, my Bernina Dealer wants $150 for one and I can pick up a generic (for Bernina) online from http://sewingmachine221sale.bizland....re/page94.html for $69.95. Either way, it's an investment and I really cannot afford mistakes. I really appreciate this group and thank you for your assistance. Mary

If you put a generic walking foot on your Bernina and it somehow harms the machine, would the damage be covered by your warranty? I was always told Bernina and Viking machines could not take generic feet or accessories, but perhaps that's no longer true. (And, no, it wasn't dealers that told me that. ;) )

I've been through the walking foot problem with my old Bernina 830 Record (purchased new in 1976 right after I was married). I bought the generic Alphasew foot (about $60 Canadian instead of $150) and it worked well for about a year and a half. It fit like a Bernina foot but wasn't really tight and you could always wiggle it a little. Eventually one of the little prongs where it attached to the machine suffered metal fatigue from wiggling and broke off. The dealer replaced it for $30. Same thing happened a second time. My next walking foot was just a generic low shank one ($22) that I attached using the adapter post that came with my machine. It worked for perhaps two years before breaking. Finally I saved up and bought the proper foot which worked so much better and is still working ten years later. Altogether I spent almost as much on the generic ones in total as I eventually paid for the real thing ($130 Canadian). My advice, save up your $ or if you are lucky you might be able to get a used one. I had a friend sell one shortly after I bought mine for $50! Berninas don't seem to handle generic feet very well as they just don't seem to fit properly.

The Bernina walking foot is made of heavy, high grade metal. You get what you pay for. I love mine.

Wow, I think I have my answer in just 3 replys.

I'm sorry, I should have told you that my Bernina is about 9 years old, model 153 Virtuosa QE (blueberry lol). I probably didn't have more than 2 hours on it until I started learning to quilt about a year ago. Thank you for the responses. Mary

If you have another machine, I would get a walking foot for that one instead, much cheaper; that's why I don't have one for my bernina. I'm not about to pay that huge price for one.

I would be careful and only use bernina parts. Your warranty won't cover if you use generics.

I have learned you get what you pay for. I learned from my Viking.

Just last month, I asked my husband for a gift certificate to our wonderful local quilt shop for my birthday present. He didn't think that it was a very romantic gift, but he went along with it. He was more generous than I expected, and I was able to get a Bernina walking foot. I have been using a much cheaper generic foot that I found on Ebay. As soon as I used it, I could tell the difference. It "walked" the fabric so much better. By adding a few of my own dollars, I was also able to buy the knee lift for my Bernina 1090 that I got on Craigs List. I love it! Between the two new additions, it almost seems as if I got a new sewing machine! I have been very happy with the 1090 since I got it last year, but now I am happier than ever. :)