I have a Bernina Activa 135 which I love, I would like to try a walking foot with it but they are $150.00 and I am not prepared to invest that without trying it first. Does anyone out there know if a universal walking foot will work with my machine?

I think Bernina does everything they can to make sure that you can't buy anything generic for their sewing machines except needles. :(

For $150, you can almost buy a nice little Brother machine with a walking foot, darning foot, lots of accessory feet, 60 stitches and hard plastic carrying case! You need a secondary machine, anyway, right? ;)

Check some of the online sewing/vacuum shops, they will let you know if their feet will work with your machine. I have used several to get generics for my machines :D:D:D

I have noticed that also. I would buy an older Singer and get a 25.00 walking and then you can do great FMQ with it also. You could buy a the machine and walking foot for what they are asking for the walking foot. Does it do a better job then any other machine with a walking foot???

My Bernina walkingfoot is the nicest, sturdiest foot of any brand I've ever used. Yes, they are wonderful, yes they are the best but worth $150....well, I paid it because I had to, not because I liked it. It very well may outlive me. You don't buy Bernina if you want cheap, so it shouldn't be a surprise the accessories are pricey.

Do you have a Bernina dealer around? Maybe call and see if they have that foot and would let you bring your machine in to try it?

I have 3 walking feet. I had to buy a different one for 2 of my machines, and Viking just came out with one that has changeable feet so I can do decorative stitches with it. I really could not live without them. I thinjk once you buy it you will use it alot.

It has been my experience teaching that it is best to buy the walking foot specifically made for your machine. While it is said that generic is "one size fits all" they don't always and the frustration is not worth it. Try on line; ask dealer if they have used ones....anything you can do to get the Bernina foot. You will be better satisfied.

the cheap ones break ... don't doubt that!

I just bought a Bernina and paid the extra for the walking foot then I looked on ebay and regretted not getting it from there. It's the exact same thing but half the price. Check out the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/WALKING-FOOT-BER..._DefaultDomain

Oh, I have got to have one of those... Is it a 150.00???

If you read the ad, it's a GENERIC walking foot and NOT a Bernina foot. The photo is very misleading!

Wow...it looks exactly like mine...I love my walking foot so maybe it was worth the extra money! thanks for pointing that out.

Yes, they don't tell you it isn't made by Bernina until the very end of the discription.. Kind of deceiving.

you can buy a GENERIC foot, it does not have to say BERNINA on it! Brewersewing sells them under THEIR notion name of Nifty Notions...

Of course you can buy a generic foot. A generic, cheap foot that people here are constantly saying break... The gist of this thread is that you get what you pay for. Misleading advertising aside(linked ebay ad above that uses a Bernina picture and they're not selling a Bernina foot), if you buy a Bernina branded foot for a Bernina machine, you will get quality. Though you may need to sell a kidney to do so.

they get you coming and going dont they.

I have an older Bernina 830, it's over 37 years old and several years ago my husband purchased a generic walking foot for it off ebay for $19.95. Sorry can't remember the name of the seller but I'm sure lesser prices WF are out there. This foot works great and does what it is suppose to.

I agree. I own a Bernina and that is only the beginning of the cost to start/finish a project. I also spent $100 on 2 books about the additional feet and exactly what they do (which I might add was good information). If I had it to do over again, I would not purchase such an expensive machine. Sooooooo, I deal with it as it is and know that I won't buy any additional items for it. It also annoyed me as to the so called "instructional class" they gave FREE. Opps, got off track here. Sorry.

can you tell me more about the instructional classes? I'm supposed to start one the 27th....is it worth my time?

Are you asking about the Bernina class? If so, my opinion is that the instructions given were by someone very versed in this machine and I was not but a novice. I took notes but alas they meant nothing by the time I re-read them. Also, I thought I would receive some sort of a book about how to really work the machine and the stitches that it already head, no such luck. I know that I can go back to more classes BUT there is a charge. I really am sorry I purchased this because once I signed the check it was like "okay we are done, now you are one your own". Perhaps it was just the area I dealt with BUT then again, I have been bitten. Feel free to email me with any questions.

Are you asking about the Bernina class? If so, my opinion is that the instructions given were by someone very versed in this machine and I was not but a novice. I took notes but alas they meant nothing by the time I re-read them. Also, I thought I would receive some sort of a book about how to really work the machine and the stitches that it already head, no such luck. I know that I can go back to more classes BUT there is a charge. I really am sorry I purchased this because once I signed the check it was like "okay we are done, now you are one your own". Perhaps it was just the area I dealt with BUT then again, I have been bitten. Feel free to email me with any questions.[/quote]

you can contact Bernina USA and report the seller to them. The Bernina company takes those lessons VERY seriously...and they are to be given to you for one year FREE.....I know, I had 2 shops in AK all but shut down because they would sell those $3-$5,000 machines to unknowning people who lived 400 miles out in the bush....then those people would come to my beginner quilting class and not even know how to turn their machines on! We are talking mostly educated natives who were easily talked into buying the BEST...when by Bernina rules, the shops could not sell a machine to people who lived more than 75 miles away, as the people had to be able to come back for their lessons....the shops in Anchorage did not care, nor in Fairbanks..as long as those machine were shipped and arrived safely they were DONE with that customer....our BErnina lady here is a real rare gem...she will work with you for the life of that machine and YOU....
My newest Bernina is a 830 record...when I found it at an estate sale she was able to look up the owner and tell me all I needed to know about the life of the machine...it was purchased in 1973 brand new by a music teacher, she took all of the classes for one year....but NEVER sewed on her machine, only the shop one...her machine was never used....I bought it at her estate sale earlier this year for $400! I took in to the Bernina lady and she nearly cried...she said, it is like buying a rolls royce and putting in the garage with a tarp over it.....

The classes I'm asking about are the ones you take after buying the machine. I just bought a Bernina 350PE and they are 9 classes that are about 2 hours long and I was told they are very helpful and informative. My machine is pretty simple to use without alot of bells and whistles so that's why i was wondering if it was worth the time investment. I live about 30 miles from the store.

Your Bernina must be the same model as my old Bernina 830. Mine has couple million sewing miles on it and still runs great.